The Eyes in the Sky II project website has not been significantly updated since 2012. We are preserving the web pages here because they still contain useful and ideas and content. But be aware that the site may have out of date information. For more recent information you may want to explore the GIS/Remote Sensing area of the Teach the Earth portal.
Initial Publication Date: April 16, 2010

Week 9: Googling Around

Getting to Know Google Earth

  • Goal: Understand how to use placemarks to identify and tag specific locations on Earth.
  • Task: Create and position a placemark at a location of interest to you.

Focus on Google Earth's Tools Hide/Show Sidebar Create a placemark Find a favorite - vacation spot, restaurant, hiking trail, etc. - zoom in to it, set tilt, direction to make a pleasing view. Create a placemark, move it to location (note changing coordinates) Choose an appropriate symbol Description Tab - Give it a name, description Style, Color Tab - Set the style and color of the symbol and label View Tab - Look @ settings, tweak if necessary Altitude Tab - Relative to Ground Click OK Zoom to another place Zoom to new placemark to check. Assignment: Post a screen shot of map showing your placemark and description balloon. Polygon tool - click tool, drag path or click @ vertices, set parameters in New Polygon window. Line tool - click tool, drag path or click @ vertices, set parameters Historical Imagery Button drag slider to see images for different years Show Sunlight across Landscape Shows sunlight at different times of day. zoom out to entire earth Drag time slider all the way to right to show both diurnal and seasonal changes in daylight. turn off Switch between Earth, Sky, Moon, and Mars (caution - don't use sunlight w/ mars & moon) Ruler Choose Line or Path Choose appropriate units Mouse Navigation - allows you to grab Earth and move it, click on vertices of path. Distance reported in Ruler Window

Resources for astronaut photography. Teachers can find a space station image to complement the location they pin in Google Earth:

Create a Placemark for a Place of Interest to You

This is the screenshot that is needed for your required weekly activity.