Many times, our students lack the perspective needed when comparing objects around them. How big are the pyramids in Egypt? How deep is the Grand Canyon? How far in air miles do you live from Yellowstone National Park? These are all questions that are hard for students to understand without context, but you can use Google Earth to help give them that context.
For examples, it’s often hard for students to realize how large the Egyptian pyramids are. To help students visualize the pyramids’ size, go to Google Earth and search for pyramids at Giza. Choose the street view from the lower right corner (the icon looks like a little man). Now choose one of the blue lines that appears and zoom in. Panning the view will give students a view of just how large the structure is compared to something they are familiar with — people, trucks, etc., helping them gain perspective on the height.
Now exit the street view and choose the ruler from the left-hand corner of the screen. Use this tool to draw the perimeter of the pyramid. Google will calculate the total distance and area; record these figures. To show the footprint of the structures, ask the students about the largest buildings in your town. Use Google Earth to search for that building. Click the ruler again (it’s in the left lower corner of the screen). Repeat the process and compare the sizes. Students now have a better idea of just how massive the pyramids are.
If you need distance, you can use the ruler to draw a line between two points. You could use this to draw the distance between the school and Yellowstone National Park in air miles. To further illustrate the distance, a simple jump to Google Maps will give you driving miles and students can compare.