GPS2Google Earth for Android

A useful looking app for displaying the places that you have visited on Google Earth.
Free on Google Play

Via the Spatial in Schools ScoopIt page, which has lots of other useful links...

Burj Khalifa

A brand new STREET VIEW gallery of the tallest building in the world.
And an explanation of how it was created..

Stourbridge models...

Just had occasion to visit Stourbridge in the West Midlands on Google Earth... it's a long story... and someone has been busy creating lots of models in the area....
Enable 3D buildings to see them...

Another simple idea for GE - this time from Tony Cassidy...

Uses the Google Earth overlay showing the Earth at night today when introducing North and South Korea http://t.co/l8jM5cEwv0
— tonycassidy (@tonycassidy) June 21, 2013

Google Earth A-Z

One idea for enabling student investigation of the functions and tools that Google Earth has to offer, as well as the areas that can be explored using the tool, why not challenge students to put together a Google Earth A-Z
P is easily covered with Paths, Placemarks, Polygons etc to cover, or perhaps you want to do it thematically by looking at Google Earth resources on the Oceans for O, or Volcanoes for V
I've created a Template in Comic Life, which could be used as the basis for a colourful display in a room where Google Earth is used...
See it and download it from below:

Google Earth A-Z Template from GeoBlogs

Google Touring

A useful post from Richard Treves outlining a possible solution to the problem with Google Tours that seems to affect people in version 7

Richard was hoping to join me at my Google Earth course, but unfortunately couldn't make it...

Maybe next time :)

River Severn

Quick example of building a lesson idea, based on the River Severn.

Search 'River Severn KML '
Uncovers files for the source of the Severn and the Plynlimon catchment. This is where the river starts, before it heads off on its long journey to the sea.

Go to BBC Learning Zone and find a clip on the River Severn from source to sea or explore the Upper course of the river

Has a helicopter shot over the moors near the source - could recreate that in Google Earth as a tour as one 'challenge'.

Put together a set of shots that the helicopter pilot has to film, and recreate those as tours, or find the locations and add them into Google Spreadsheet Maker 2.0 to create placemarks along the route.

What will students discover about the course of the River Severn ? It starts by heading in the opposite direction to the one that it eventually takes ? Can they discover why it changed direction ?

Students to investigate the way that the landscape changes as they move along the route, or explore examples of the ecosystem services that the river provides.

Identifying river features from the air.

Adding in some other land uses and evidence of how people are using the river. How has the river changed by the time it has passed down to the lower course ?
Use the measurement tool to see how the width has changed over that time.
Drag in the Environment Agency website data to see what the usual and current levels of flow are at various points along the river.

Sourcing CC images - perhaps making use of GeoGraph for these
e.g. this image of the Severn near Ribbesford Woods.

Click to get the location of the image - add in the extra figures of the grid reference.
Use NEARBY to convert to lat long

Can also get a lat long if you know where the location is by switching to Google Maps. Right click on a location and select What's Here, or look bottom right in Google Earth to see it displayed.

Can also save images from searches on Geograph - KML files can be generated of groups of images, or those around an area. These could be saved and form the basis for some investigation.
Carry out a SEARCH on GEOGRAPH and look for the KML link at the bottom of the search returns page.

An overview of the River Severn here.

Look for changes to the course using the NPE MAPs link which shows old maps. Has the route altered as a result of management...

What else could be added here ?

Image: Alan Parkinson

Google Spreadsheet Mapper 2.0

A reminder of this tool which adds some additional assistance to the process of mapping data from spreadsheets.
Part of Google Earth Outreach work.

Open up the special spreadsheet, and save a copy in Google Drive.
You can amend the sample contents to suit your project, and publish the spreadsheet.
This will generate what is called a NETWORK LINK.
This means that any changes to the spreadsheet will result in a different map being generated

And also removes the need to have a spreadsheet package installed on your machine...

A video here:

Thematic Mapping Engine

A reminder of this option for creating layers for viewing within Google Earth.

Embed KML gadget

Made a KML file - perhaps a TOUR ?

Now you can embed it on a webpage using the EMBED KML GADGET

I made a new GOOGLE SITE to host my files...

https://sites.google.com and follow the instructions...

Copy the Link Address and paste it in...

Google Earth and Maps course now OPEN

The Google Earth and Maps course that I mentioned a while back has now gone live...

You can participate in courses for both Google Maps and Google Earth.
Go here for more information and to register.

More details on this YouTube video, introduced by Tina Ornduff, who I met at the Dublin Google event last year.


Once you've registered, you'll find out more about the course, which starts on June the 10th....

Why not join me ?

A few other new websites...

A few other Google Earth / Maps related websites which might be of interest...
The first is the Google Earth Engine.

Posted about this before, but a reminder of the environmental elements which can be accessed from the site.
Google Earth Engine brings together the world's satellite imagery — trillions of scientific measurements dating back almost 40 years — and makes it available online with tools for scientists, independent researchers, and nations to mine this massive warehouse of data to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences on the Earth's surface. Applications include: detecting deforestation, classifying land cover, estimating forest biomass and carbon, and mapping the world’s roadless areas.

Also check out the GeoData portal from Tufts University in the USA.

Plenty of layers which can be accessed using the search function, and then adding them to the cart (which enables a download of the data - often in shapefile format)
The shapefiles could presumably then be opened in ArcGIS Online.

There is a user guide which can be accessed by clicking the tab top right....
Thanks to Keir Clarke for the link to the site....

Google Earth Balloon Maker

One of the things that most people want to be able to do is change the nature of balloons attached to placemarks so they can add content and format it appropriately.

The Google Earth Balloon Maker from Mr. Macfadden may be the answer for some teachers. It 'automates' the process of creating balloons a little by adding a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) style editor...

Watch the video below to see it in action, then try it for yourself...

KML.... not an airline

As I explain on the GA course, files which are created using Google Earth are generally saved in KML format. This is short for Keyhole Markup Language.
If you are particularly keen to find out more, I have a book about KML which provides plenty of information about the language.
What files are available out there ?

Well, to show what can be found, I did a quick Google search on the term 'kml geography' and came up with some interesting files within a couple of minutes:

- a file released by the US Data.gov website showing radiation levels in and around Fukushima.
(follow the link, and use the search button, and there are over 700 files apparently for download on a range of topics) - US based, but plenty on tornadoes, hydrology, hurricanes etc.
- information about files which have been made available by the Office for National Statistics (as well as shapefiles which can open in ArcGIS Online if they have less than 1000 elements to them)
- teach a bit of RE too ? check out these BIBLE files
- wildfires in your spec (Edexcel 'B' for example) - go HERE and click DATA to download KML files for current fires (depending on the season...)

Don't forget the old KML Factbook as well

USGS Earthquake Page

On the GA course, I show how to access earthquake updates from the USGS.
This page of KML resources would be a useful additional resource for students using Google Earth to explore natural hazards.