
A Mapped Essay with Google Earth's Tour Builder
Google Earth’s Tour Builder is a freely available mapping and composition program that allows students to produce interactive tours of areas using Google Earth’s mapping technology (from above or at street level) and then offer explanations of their content with an embedded composition tool (that draws on Google Doc’s word processing technology). A variety of digital elements can be seamlessly woven in to create a dynamic and interactive project that is well suited to a plethora of assignments in class or instructor-created course resources. Google Earth has been widely used by professors across all disciplines, and it offers a way for students to research and engage historical, cultural, and/or regional issues. Best of all, these projects are fun and easy to make and accessible to students of all skill levels.