Google Earth TPACK

Students are going to navigate the Oregon Trail using Google Earth. They will meet the following found in the Utah State Core:

Standard 4
Students will understand that the 19th century was a time of incredible change for the United States, including geographic expansion, constitutional crisis, and economic growth.
Objective 1 Investigate the significant events during America's expansion and the roles people played.
c. Compare the trails that were important during westward expansion (e.g. Oregon, Mormon, Spanish, California).

Students will use Google Earth 5.0 for the technology portion of the assignment. I will create a .kmz file for this assignment that will be uploaded for future use. Google Earth 5.0 is great for this type of assignment because the students can get a sense of the surroundings found in the empty spaces of Wyoming, Nebraska, etc. They can use the various tools in Google Earth, such as the ruler, daylight button, and other features integrated in the software.

The pedagogy found in this assignment will be self reflection, critical thinking and cooperation. Students will be forced to use their imagination in reflecting on what it was like to leave Missouri with all of their possessions to embark on a potentially fatal journey. They will then learn that various members of their party had passed away crossing rivers and catching diseases.