What did students do? This is a small activity which formed part of a broader multicultural day. Other activities on the day included researching and making traditional costumes, mask making, cooking traditional foods, locating and retelling traditional stories, and learning traditional dance. Guest speakers were invited to cook, tell stories, play music, and dance. In the library, children were invited to put a pin on the map to show where there “ancestors” originated. The following activity is an extension of that. One that can be shared with a wider audience(e.g. relatives in ancestral home) than those people that walked through the library and saw the wall display. How does this activity enhance student learning? By enhancing the “wall map” activity, and being able to share it with a global audience, the children were much more enthusiastic about the activity. The “immersive” nature of Google Earth and the ability to zoom in and fly from place to place makes it fun. Why Use Google Earth in the Classroom? - To provide a sense of reality and purpose for learning within the K-12 classroom
- To engage and excite learners
- To help learners conceptualize, visualize, share, and communicate information about the world
- To provide cross-curricular learning options
- To add a new dimension to learning environments not previously possible
- To leverage ubiquitous tools for learning
- To create active, exploratory, and empowering learning environments
- To give students opportunities:
- to exhibit their learning to others
- to use emerging technologies and digital tools
- to communicate their research in a personally meaningful way (using Web 2.0 tools)
- to view their world from a more connected, global perspective
- to enhance map reading and navigation skills
- to engage more complex dimensions of human perception
from: http://www.alicechristie.org/gearth/index.html What syllabus outcomes does the activity address? From the NSW HSIE change and continuity strand… The activity meets the aims of HSIE by enhancing the student’s sense of personal, community, national and global identity; It meets the objectives of HSIE syllabus by: - providing knowledge and understanding ofcultures in Australia and other places, their diversity and similarities and how they influence people’s identities and behaviors.
- by developing skills in acquiring information, and social and civicparticipation
By studying change and continuity, students should develop historical knowledge and understandings about their heritages and the past, and how these have influenced the present and may influence the future. The activity fulfils the HSIE foundation Statement Outcome: Students explain how different cultures and traditions contribute to Australian and community identity. They examine a variety of local and othercommunities, investigating similarities and differences including ways of living, languages and belief systems. Outcomes and Indicators CCS2.2 Explains changes in the community andfamily life andevaluates the effects of these on differentindividuals, groupsand environments. Indicators: - listens to life stories of people from different culturalbackgrounds
- distinguishes between primary and secondary source material when acquiring information
- uses historical language when referring to source material, e.g. primary source, secondary source, oralhistory, life story
- identifies the contributions of some significant peopleand events to community heritage.
CUS2.3 Explains how shared customs, practices,symbols, languagesand traditions incommunitiescontribute toAustralian andcommunity identities. Indicators • identifies diverse customs, practices and symbols sharedby their local community and all communities withinAustralia • listens to and retells traditional, religious and ethicalstories that relate to some groups in the Australiancommunity. Here is an example of what we did. The students were asked to find their country of origin. Speak to grandpa or grandma. Record a story of why they came to Australia, or what life was like in hometown or even how life is different here. Then for this session. 1/ Find place on Google Earth. 2/Putplace mark on Google Earth and name it. 3/ Give a quick story 1-2 mins about the place or why ancestors left to come to Australia 4/ (Extension) Email friend or relative the link to the map we publish, and invite comment http://mullumwriters.blogspot.com/2009/02/where-are-we-from_18.html . How is it Done? A simple (one hopes) 3 stage process. (Oh yeah, you will also need a google account.) - Add place marks on Google Earth.
- Import place marks to Google Maps.
- Link the map’s code to your wiki or blog.
| 
