Enhancing Literature with Google Lit Trips

1. Enhancing LiteraturewithGoogle Lit Trips Tara Hughes Lin Maeder Vicki Willett

2. Google Lit Trips- the Basics • Created by Jerome Burg • Interactive, multi-media experience • Reaches multiple learning domains • Uses literature to plot character travels via google earth’s digital mapping tools • Puts students in the back seat of an unfolding journey when teaching literatures great travel tales • Ties content with place and time • Integrates highly creative activities within the language arts content area

3. Google Lit Trips tie to 21st Century Skills • Brings the greatest literature journeys to today’s 21st century students by tracking them on Google Earth • Combines digital literacy skills, research, literary study, reading and writing for the web • Provides cross curricular connections, literary explorations • Integrates content area with fiction and nonfiction sources • Involves active engagement that compares with using manipulatives for hands-on learning in math

4. Pre-made Elementary Lit Tripswww.googlelittrips.com We All Went on Safari Possum Magic A Family Apart Brothers of Hope Seaman Big Anthony The Yellow Balloon Abuela Paddle to the Sea Make Way for Ducklings By the Great Horned Spoon

5. Pre-made Middle School Tripswww.googlelittrips.com • The Watson’s Go to Birmingham • Walk Two Moons • Marching for Freedom • Fever • The Brothers’ War • Remote Man • Underground to Canada • Hannah’s Suitcase • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants • Slave Dancer • My Brother Sam is Dead

6. Pre-made High School Lit Trips www.googlelittrips.com • Expedition Literature- Into the Wilds • Fifteen Poets • The Kite Runner • The Aeneid • Candide • Traveling with PJ Wodehouse • The Grapes of Wrath • Macbeth • Night • The Odyssey

7. How to view a Lit Trip • Download Google Earth onto your computer • Deselect all layers by clicking the check box next to the primary data base • Click the check marks next to the Terrain and 3D buildings layers

8. Now you are ready to fly • You can simply click on the play button and this will automatically run through the tour. However, this will not allow the user to spend time exploring the information and interactive additions. • Creator Jerome Burg recommends using the manual buttons to view the Lit Trips.

9. Manual Directions • Click on the icon or description marker • Double click on that icon or marker and you will automatically fly to the exact location and view the maker has created. • Once at the location, click on any text in blue. That will direct you to websites and information created by the maker

10. Planning a Google Earth Lit Trip • Book Selection • Not all books lend themselves to Lit Trips • Select books where the main character is on some kind of journey, to real places. • To Kill a Mockingbird- probably not • The Grapes of Wrath- definitely YES • Make Way for Ducklings- definitely YES

11. Planning a Google Lit Trip Student Project – Technology • Considerations • Be prepared for the digital equity considerations and provide time during class to complete the project. • If this is the first time students have used Google Earth, devote a full class to teaching the basics including: Folder structure, placemarking, path creation, adding photos, adding websites, creating snapshot views and recording the tour • Broadband Width- Google earth can be a broadband hog. Think about how many simultaneous users can be realistically using it at the same time.

12. Planning a Google Lit Trip Student Project –Organization • Group vs Individual (Each group could work on a chapter or two) • Use organizational tools on the Google Lit Trip Site • Outline expections, such as number of placemarks, pictures, websites etc. • Remember a Lit Trip is not just a retelling of the story, it is enhancing the story

13. What We Have Learned • Allow new user groups a sandbox time, or staying on task may become difficult • It takes more time than you think • Use some of the short Google Earth videos to teach specific skills. • Students have the most trouble creating the paths • Suggested video Google Earth #6.1 telling your story part • Have a plan for those students who need more planning time. • There is a learning curve, but that curve is really worth it.

14. How to Create a Lit Trip • Plan a story board of your tour • Write the text and/or questions for your place markers • Collect URLs of websites for pictures, videos, or interactive activities that you are planning to use. • Open Google Earth and now the fun begins. • Select My Places on the side bar. • Add a new folder and title that folder.

15. Saving your tour • Make sure you save your tour often! • Click on the Google Earth folder you created. • Go to FILE-SAVE-SAVE PLACES AS-and save your tour as a KMZ file.

16. Let’s Create a Lit Trip • In your hand outs you have a list of basic codes, that we have found to be most helpful. • Some of these came directly from Jerome Burg as he answered questions that were sent to him as I created the We All Went on Safari Lit trip. • Others came from the Google Lit Trip site. • Others came from http://my.ccsd.net/userdocs/1614599000.pdf

17. Ready, Set, Create • Open Google Earth on your computer • Deselect all layers by clicking the check box next to the primary data base • Click the check marks next to the Terrain and 3D buildings layers • These are the same steps you would do to view a trip.

18. Story Board • When ever you begin a lit trip it is a good idea to start with a story board. • Know where you are going to go • Collect all the URLs and pictures you need • This one is done for you. It is based on a book for primary students, but remember the steps are exactly the same for any book, for any age.

19. Let’s Begin • Open MY PLACES in the sidebar. Right click • Go to ADD and select FOLDER. A new folder is created in your MY PLACES. • Name this folder. Carmella and the Magic Bubble

20. Adding the Place Marker • Under fly to type in Sierra Madre, CA • Click the Magnifying Glass. • Find the view you would like by maneuvering Google Earth (We played around with the links finding one that showed desert and town. Then moved google earth by pulling and zooming in and out.) • Click on the pin marker

21. Drag the pin to the exact spot where you want it to appear on the map Fill in the name of your place marker Click to choose the look of the placemarker Click OK OK

22. Helpful Hint • Since you have used the search box, once you’ve found your location and made your own placemark, uncheck the location address under SEARCH to get rid of placemark at the actual address. This will just leave the one you named.

23. Adding Pictures from the Web • Right Click on Sierra Madre Mountains • Click on Properties • Type <img src=“paste in the short cut”> • To resize a picture just after the last“width=size> • Entire code looks like this: • <img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Sierra_madre_mountains_by_mexikids.jpg" width=400>

24. Add a Website • Find the webpage that you want to link to and copy the URL of the page. • In the “description box” of the placeholder, type in <a href="paste URL of the webpage">Type text you want to appear as link</a> • Entire code looks like this: <a href=http://www.ecnca.org/>Take a tour of the mountains</a>

25. Adding Additional Text • As Berg states, a lit trip is not just a retelling of the story. It is providing a vehicle for learners to become part of the story. He suggests adding higher level questions within the text. • To add a space <br> To add two spaces <br><br> • To change font size <font size=”Desired size”> • Then just type: Describe how you would feel if you went on a magical journey and tell why.

26. Adding more placemarks to your tour • To add a new placemark to your tour make sure you first click on the Google Earth folder you created. This makes sure the placemark you add is part of your tour. • Add the Arizona Desert – Remember to play with the links to find a view that you like. • Add Rio Grande River, Texas

27. Adding a Path • Make all of your placemarkers first. You can edit text without disrupting the path. • Position the map so that you have all placemarkers in view • Click on add a path in the toolbar • In the “New Path” box add a name for the path, but don’t click OK. • Move window out of way and use the navigation arrows within Google Earth if you need to adjust the screen

28. Click on the first placemarker, then click on the second placemarker. A line will appear between the two pins. Click on the second pin and then the third pin. The line will continue. • Click on the “Style,Color” tab to change the color and width of the line • Now click OK

29. To edit the path • Find the path in the MY PLACES section of the sidebar • Right-click and choose PROPERTIES. • With the “Edit Path” box open, the pathway can be adjusted by grabbing the end of the line and drag it to the location you would like.

30. Don’t forget to: • Save as you go, trust us on that one • Replay what you’ve created as you add. • Above all, take a risk and try. • Using lit trips make a book become a journey and that journey an adventure • Passports, of course, are optional.