Marble

Subject Area: Geography, Social Studies

Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8

Marble is a Virtual Globe and World Atlas that you can use to learn more about Earth: You can pan and zoom around and you can look up places and roads. A mouse click on a place label will provide the respective Wikipedia article. Of course it's also possible to measure distances between locations or watch the current cloud cover. Marble offers different thematic maps: A classroom-style topographic map , a satellite view , street map , earth at night and temperature and precipitation maps . All maps include a custom map key, so it can also be used as an educational tool for use in class-rooms. For educational purposes you can also change date and time and watch how the starry sky and the twilight zone on the map change. In opposite to other virtual globes Marble also features multiple projections: Choose between a Flat Map ("Plate carré"), Mercator or the Globe.

Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Social Studies (2004) Grades 1 – 8

Students acquire skills of inquiry and communication through field studies and other research projects; through the use of maps, globes, and models; and through the consideration of various forms of historical evidence. Students apply these skills to develop an understanding of Canadian identity and democratic values, to evaluate different points of view, and to examine information critically in order to solve problems and make decisions on issues that are relevant to their lives.

In the study of geography, students learn to gather, organize, analyse, and present information obtained from fieldwork, models, simulations, aerial photographs, satellite imaging, maps, and computers.

For more information go to: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/sstudies18curr.pdf

How can Marble help?

Marble is a better alternative to Google Earth for users who have either a very slow or no internet connection at all. Marble allows students with a map that they can use to explore different concepts such as latitude or longitude, as well as exploring magnitude of distances from one place to another. Educators can also change the date and time and watch how the starry sky and the twilight zone on the map change.