Mapping

GoogleEarth and More
      In recent years GoogleEarth has become a powerful tool and a leading force in mapping. One can use GoogleEarth to zoom into almost any part of the earth, and now sky, with enough detail to identify features as small as individuals. You can also view and add pictures linked to locations on the globe. You can locate places by placenames, features or addresses. You can overlay images and features and build three dimensional features. And more.
      Open GoogleEarth by clicking on the Macintosh HD icon on the desktop, then Applications and then GoogleEarth. Now that you have GoogleEarth open try several maneuvers:

• Click on the earth approximately where Oregon is located
• Use the controls in the upper corner of the earth
• to zoom in and out of a location (slide bar on right)
• to move from east to west and north to south (arrows and polygon in the middle)
• to locate your community and follow a road to a neighboring community
• to change the landscape from "looking straight down" view to a view as if you're flying a plane (slide bar on the top)
• Select "Fly to" and type in the address of your home address
• Placemark your home address (with the push pin icon)
• Find the latitude and longitude of your home (bottom of the screen: select View, then Status Bar if you don't see it)
• Select the measuring tool and measure the distance between two locations
• Find a favorite vacation spot
• Draw a line from the 2008 Olympics to Monmouth to measure the shortest distance (what other state would you find over?)

Assignment
      Create a 5K race for your community (or Monmouth area).

      Try to think of all aspects of setting up the race course (i.e. room for spectators, staging area for runners/bikers/etc., interesting terrain, loop rather than out and back, etc.). Are there nearby places to stay or camp. Where will you eat?
      Open Google Earth and type in your location. Zoom in for details. Show street names to virtually find your way around.
      Under the Tools menu item, select “Measure”. Next chose Kilometers as your measurement. The curser on the map will switch to a small “square”. Position the cursor where you want to start your measurement. Keep clicking along the path and watch your mileage grow. (Note: if you make a mistake, Control click on your last entry to delete it.)
      You can zoom in or out as well as move up and down or sideways by using the navigation tools at the bottom of the screen while measuring your course.
      Zoom in or out to fill the screen with your racecourse. Decide whether to show streets (if it isn’t too much information).
      Save the image as a .jpg. Title it something that you will remember.
      Open this image in Photoshop and add a title, your name and any other info that seems appropriate.
      Resize if needed to print. Save as a .jpg file.
      Print a copy of the course to turn in. Attach a Word file giving a brief description of the location, the course, and any other considerations you deem appropriate.
      You will turn in a printed version of your map and a Word document.

      Due February 12.

Example: