2. Learning Objectives
• I designed this lesson to fit into a 2nd
Grade month-long unit on South America.
• This lesson focuses on multiple objectives
in the state core curriculum, including:
– Standard 3: Objective 4: a. Identify and use
information on a map or globe.
– Standard 2: Objective 2: b. Compare rural,
suburban, and urban communities.
3. I created a Google Earth tour of South America
that began at Canyon Elementary.
8. One of our last stops, the Atacama Desert,
has not had rain in over 400 years!
9. Cape Horn, the southern tip of South
America, was our final destination.
10. What went well?
The technology I used in this lesson really caught
and held the students’ attention and curiosity. I
showed the presentation to small groups on the
classroom computer, and every time I clicked on the
bright picture of Machu Picchu, the students gasped.
It was exciting to see their enthusiasm for my
lesson and their interest in seeing each place. The
students were fascinated by Google Earth and the
sights of South America.
The descriptions and questions I included below
the picture at each landmark effectively stimulated
students to think deeply about the content.
Visual learners gained a clearer vision of the
physical features of South America.
I was able to easily install Google Earth on the class
computer and avoid technical difficulties.
11. ...and not so well?
The school’s two LCD projectors
were unavailable/broken, so I was
unable to show the tour to the whole
class on the projector. I adapted to
this situation, and I was still able to
use a Google Earth tour to teach
about South America by teaching
small groups at a time around the
teacher’s classroom computer.
12. Changes for the future:
If I taught a similar lesson in the
future, I would like to give the
students the opportunity to create
their own tours on Google Earth. If
I were still teaching younger grades,
it could be an interactive process
with the teacher where students help
choose landmarks that the teacher
adds.
13. Principles of
Effective Technology Integration
► 1. Student Use of Technology
While the Google Earth tour was created by the teacher
to teach specific content, the students were able to
become involved with the technology in the lesson by
interacting with the questions, prompts, and pictures at
the various landmarks.
In the beginning of the lesson, students were also given
the opportunity to locate their own houses on Google
Earth. Some could already see their houses from the
view of Canyon Elementary that began the tour.
14. Principles of
Effective Technology Integration
► 2. Technology Use is Essential
The technology used in this lesson was not
added as an afterthought. It is directly related
to the subject matter it teaches. Google Earth
is a tool that can give students a unique view of
world geography, especially in places that
students may not have the opportunity to visit.
Technology makes this lesson possible.
15. Principles of
Effective Technology Integration
► 3. Focus on Learning Task
The Google Earth technology used in this lesson
focuses students on the learning task of
discovering the physical geography of South
America on a map. We did not spend
instructional time focused on the numerous
features of the Google Earth program, but
rather we used the technology as a tool for
accessing the content to be used for instruction.
16. Principles of
Effective Technology Integration
► 4. Added Value
The learning process was enhanced by using
Google Earth because the technology allowed
students to see geographical features of South
America that they could not have seen without
this technology. Even a traditional wall map
would not have offered the “zoomed in” detail,
pictures, descriptions, and questions that were
included in this virtual tour. Technology made
this lesson both more efficient and effective in
teaching about South America.
