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Welcome to "Google Earth: More than a map". Google Earth is like an interactive encyclopaedia that helps you explore the world. This video uses the Chrome browser to show how the Layers and Photo options in Google Earth add detail to maps. You'll also learn how you can use Google Earth to visit places you've always wanted to go. While this demonstration will show Google Earth on a computer, the steps are similar on a mobile device. To get started, type earth.google.com into your web browser. A virtual globe will appear. From the menu on the top left, click on the Search bar and start to type Manhattan, New York.
Some relevant suggestions will display below. Click Manhattan when it appears. The earth will zoom and spin to locate Manhattan. From here, we're going to click on the Layers icon in the bottom left of the screen. It looks a bit like a diamond. A pop up with a list of options appears, showing the different ways you can view maps. By default, Google Earth shows maps in Exploration mode, with place names, major roads, and international borders added. Clicking Clean mode removes most information from the map. This view shows the satellite imagery of the area as it appears from space. For lots of information, click Everything to see features such as roads, suburbs, and landmarks. This gives a very detailed view, similar to a map or atlas.
The Custom mode shows a list of things you can turn on or off, such as Places and Roads. Choose your preferred style then scroll down the list to find Photos and click the switch next to it. Photos uploaded by people to Google Earth will display as tiny preview images on the map, at the locations they were taken. You can view a photo by clicking on its preview, but for now, we'll turn Photos off, then close Layers by clicking the cross in the top right.
Enabling Photos can slow down Google Earth, so it's a good idea to switch the option off when you're not using it. Google Earth can help you see places you've always wanted to visit. Let's take a virtual trip to Paris. Click in the Search bar, then click on the little cross to delete the last search. Now, start to type Eiffel Tower. From the suggestions that display, click on Eiffel Tower when it appears. The landmark tower appears in 3D, with the information card on the right. This shows some interesting facts and links you can click to learn more. To see more of the Tower, click the cross in the top right of the information card to close it. What an amazing sight! Click 2D to change the view. The map will change to a bird's-eye perspective. Click the plus button to zoom in and see more detail. You can go in as close as you like. Click 3D to return to the previous view. Now you can see the landscape in 3D. Click and drag with your mouse to look around.
Now, let's go take a closer look. Click the Street View icon to see where you can go, then click and drag to get a wider view. You can drop the Street View icon wherever there is a blue line or circle, even on a river. Imagine where you'd like to drop yourself on the map, then drag and drop the little person to that place on the screen. Let's look at the Eiffel Tower from the Seine. You can click and drag the image with your mouse to rotate the map until the Eiffel Tower comes into view. Now you have a front seat on a French river boat!
Activities
1
What can Google Earth do?
6 min
2
Using the control menu
9 min
3
Add map styles and photos
7 min
4
Take a virtual trip!
4 min