5. The Google World Wonders project is an
interactive 360 degree view of ancient ruins
throughout the world. You can search
through gardens & parks, historic sites,
monuments and memorials, and one of the
newest additions the wonders of the world
site.
Editor's Notes
This website has been used throughout the internet to make comedic short videos but it can also be used in the classroom to assist students in their presentations. The website takes anything you type into it and makes it into an animated short movie. You can choose from a list of sets the site has to offer. With each set you can choose the actor(s) as well. There are several different set options with several different actors included.
This website is a great option for students who do not like giving presentations in front of the class. They can make an animated movie to explain their research and let the characters talk for them. This tool is also useful in animating a lesson for the teacher. There are pre selected scenes or “sets” that are related to different time periods in history. This would be perfect for a history lesson. The teacher can be assured that the information they present in the video is accurate and exactly what they need to teach the class. There is nothing extra in the movie clip that isn’t presented in the class. It is a personalized cartoon of whatever topic you want to cover in class.
Although there is a paid version of the website you do get a certain amount of points to make a video so each of the students can make at least one video for free. If you were to use this all of the time for classroom presentations then there is an “Educational license” that teachers can use. But that part is part of a subscription.
This is a great resource for Social Studies teachers when trying to show the students the places they are talking about in class. Since most schools do not have the resources to take multiple field trips to all of the places that Google World Wonders has on their site it is a great way to involve the visual learners in the classroom.
Every location has an information section to tell you back ground information, videos that relate to that particular location, photography that is submitted by people who have visited the locations and 3D models which I’ll talk about a little in the next slide.
There are also 3D renderings of all of the locations where you can get a 3D 360 view of the area. For the Independence Hall you can literally tour all of downtown Philadelphia.
There is also an Education area that is designed for teachers to integrate The World Wonders Project into their classrooms. The World wonders website is a great free resource that is designed perfectly for Smart Board integration.
