Using the Ruler Tool to Measure in

Using satellite photos from Google Earth provides a sense of reality and purpose for lessons in measuring. Below is just one illustration of how teachers might use this tool.

Start with the big picture: Spain, Africa & the Mediterranean Sea

Zooming in

What else might you measure using Google Earth?

• The height famous buildings
• The length of a river
• The length and width of an island
• The width of the Grand Canyon at various places
• The height of a pyramid
• The width of a pyramid near the bottom, middle and top
• The length and width of your home or apartment
• The length and width of a national park
• The length and width of your state or a state you are studying
• The length and width of your county
• The length and width of a country
• The length and width of each of the Great Lakes
• The length of an Interstate Highway
• The distance between gas stations on various Interstate Highways
• The length of a runway at an airport
• The length of various planes at an airport (Try Orly Airport in Paris)
• The length of a bridge (Try New York City)
• The length of cars and trucks on bridges or highways
• The length of a swimming pool (Try Tempe, Arizona)
• The distance between two places
• The miles you would drive on your "dream vacation"
• The distance between the shoreline and the continental shelf at different points of any continent
  
• Send other ideas to: alice.christie@asu.edu