Google Earth Exercise: Wonders of the World

Learning Objectives

To increase student content knowledge of global geography and history through the technology of Google Earth

Standards Addressed

Subject Area 7: Geography  --  Grade 6, 7.6.1.B.  Grade 7, 7.1.7.B.  Grade 8, 7.1.8.B
Subject area 7: History  --  Grade 6, 8.4.6.B, Grade 7, 8.4.7.B, Grade 8, 8.4.8.B
Standard 4.5: Humans and the Environment

Preparation Time Needed

None, beyond providing students access to the required Google Earth file and making copies of the student worksheet (both provided here).  Students can complete the exercise on computers in class or as a homework exercise.

Class Time Required

The exercise can be completed in 90 minutes, but it may also be shortened if the final short answer questions are eliminated.

Activity Description

For this exercise, students utilize a Google Earth file to explore three different sets of Wonders of the World: The Ancient Wonders, the Modern Wonders, and the New 7 Wonders. Included is a student workshop with short-answer questions for the various sites and some summary questions that require students to pull information from across the exercise.

Students will need to have the 3D Building box checked in the Google Earth Layers menu.  Students should be encouraged to watch the videos and click on the links provided in the placemarks, as some of the webpages in each placemark have information necessary to answer the questions. Students can also click on the individual 3D structures and in the pop-up window click on the "Model" tab on the top left to obtain more information about the structures.

This exercise is a good introduction to Google Earth, global geography, and history. The exercise can be adjusted to have a greater focus on engineering/design and mathematics.