Google Earth Projects

January 4, 2008

The past few years I've assigned a final Google Earth project in my Islam class. A perpetual worry of mine in teaching Islam is that students will think about it as a system of doctrinal points and not as a social system embedded in a time and place. This project requires students to engage with Islam in particular places.. and along the way to gain some familiarity with the geography of Islam. When I first used this assignment I required students to examine a particular city in the Islamic world, but this time I opened it up considerably and allowed students to follow their own interest so long as it was the kind of inquiry that could be plotted on a map.

The following are five of the most visually successful projects that I received this year. I provide an image, a brief overview, and then a link to the .kmz file for anyone who wants to follow the entire project. At the close of the post I also provide a link to the page where you can get the free download of Google Earth.

1. Women across the Islamic World

By use of an elegant and simple red line the reader is able to follow contemporary news stories and videos about women in all different parts of the Islamic world. I found this a particularly successful use of the medium to present an important topic. [view .kmz file]

2. Islam in Central Asia

This is an expansive project that covers the Islamic cultures of Central Asia. The reader is given an introduction to the various cultures as well as markers for outstanding ruins and historical sites. [view .kmz file]

3. Islam in Bangladesh

A project that marks out the stages by which Islam arrived in what is now Bangladesh. Important early cities and early mosques are marked.. along with the boundaries for medieval kingdoms. I came away from this wanting to visit Bangladesh. [view .kmz file]

4. Expansion of Ottoman Empire

By reading this sequence of markers the reader is given a tour of Ottoman expansion into Europe—ending at marker 19 at the gates of Vienna. This is an example of how a sequence of visual markers on a map can be used to tell a story. [view .kmz file]

5. The Experience of the Hajj

As opposed to some of the globe-spanning projects above, this one concentrates on the localized experience of the hajj. The elements of the hajj are carefully set down and each marker contains a photo. A great walk-through of the pilgrimage to Mecca.. and easier to follow than written descriptions. [view .kmz file]

[click here for free download of Google Earth]