Cultural Landscapes in Google Earth

To complete these exercises, you will need to use a computer equipped with Google Earth software (available as a free download). You will be examining and describing cultural landscapes. You will utilize screenshots from Google Earth that you have annotated along with images of the locations. Narratives that you will compose will analyze and explain the cultural landscapes, using the multimedia materials as supporting evidence.

Your first assignment consists of finding a unique cultural landscape in Google Earth. Larger scale images (more detail/smaller area) work best. When you find a cultural landscape that you will use, simply go to Edit, Copy Image in Google Earth and then Paste it into Word. Each primary image should be about 2/3 of a page. Be certain you include the latitude and longitude (Edit, Copy View Location).

For your narrative, please use standard one inch margins, calibri or arial typeface, and 10 or 12 point, sin-spaced font. Each narrative should be approximately one-half to one page of double-spaced text. Draw on your lectures, texts, dynamic study modules, and homework to construct thoughtful, detailed narratives.

Explore two locations. Annotate your primary Google Earth satellite image with letter labels and symbols. Annotation is a required component of this assignment. Failure to provide adequate annotation will result in a greatly diminished score. (I strongly encourage you to view the rubrics for the course assignments).

Then supplement your aerial view with ground based images of the features you highlighted/annotated on the aerial image. You are welcome to use “street-view”imagery from Google Earth or Google Maps for these supplementary images. Additionally, you can use images from other sources, such as online encyclopedias. Be sure you cite every image you use.

In your analysis of your location, be certain to incorporate and develop a minimum of two cultural geography theories, themes, or concepts (e.g., the interplay of place and space; the gravity model of spatial interaction; the delineation of formal versus vernacular regions; models of urban development; Central Place Theory) and how they apply to the cultural landscape(s) you are discussing. Utilize appropriate terminology from the course to illustrate the theme(s)/concept(s) and be certain that you are explicitly clear in regard to which theories/themes/concepts you are incorporating. From a “big picture” perspective, think about and incorporate your thoughts on human-environment interaction in your analysis and explanation of these cultural landscapes.