EarthQuests: WebQuests meet Google Earth

1. EarthQuests: WebQuests meet Google Earth Kaye Placing UniServe Science The University of Sydney http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/ kplacing@mail.usyd.edu.au

2. EarthQuests • WebQuest meets Google Earth • Webquest and Virtual Field Trips meet Google Earth

3. Google Earth • Satellite maps of the world • Accessed through your web browser • Must download an application program and install on local computer • Available for Windows only • Must have Internet active - Broadband recommended • Base level is free

4. Google Earth • Interactive • Allows you to find locations • Zoom in and out • Tilt to get different perspectives • Rotate around a location e.g. Uluru • Add placemarkers • Edit placemarkers – icons and more • Save locations visited

5. WebQuests • Were first developed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March “A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet” (Dodge) • An achievable task and a list of selected web sites are provided • Should involve group work • May involve role play e.g. scientific occupations • Should develop the top levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy such as synthesis

6. WebQuests (examples & resources) • Our Indigneous Garden – UniServe Science • Hydrothermal Vents – UniServeScience http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/quests/ • WebQuest Direct http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/ • Ozline http://www.ozline.com/learning/ • Best Web Quests http://bestwebquests.com/

7. Virtual Field Trips • Virtual • Field trip • Visit places that are too far, too expensive, too dangerous, too time consuming, no longer available …

8. EarthQuests • First developed by John Demmers and Gerard Dummer http://www.webkwestie.nl/earthquest/ • Seven Wonders of the World • Visit the seven wonders of the ancient world via Google Earth • Complete a matrix about the seven wonders • Visit other wonders from lists provided and select seven of interest to you • Complete a virtual field trip to your selected wonders to share with the class

9. EarthQuests by UniServe Science • Deserts of the World • 2006 International Year of Deserts and Desertification • Australian landforms • Stage 3: An Ancient Land Task 2 • Stage 4: Relate the formation of landforms to weathering, erosion and deposition • Disasters • Stage 5: explain some impacts of natural events including cyclones, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and/or biosphere

11. DesertQuest • The task • Find out about the deserts the world under a number of headings, matrix provides • Select one desert and create a virtual field trip to that desert using a series of placemarkers • Mojave desert – Death Valley, Monument Valley, Rainbow Valley • Tanami Desert – Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Atila (Mt Conner), Tnorala (Gosses Bluff), Kings Canyon

12. Why use Google Earth …not just a normal web page • Motivation • Develop spatial relationships • Investigate the terrain – immediate and surrounding • Manipulate images

19. Thank you Your comments and suggestions are welcomed kplacing@mail.usyd.edu.au