Application Of Electronic Maps Based On Google Earth For Teaching Geography In Middle School

The map is an important tool of cultivating students in scientific literacy and cultural literacy. It plays an irreplaceable role in geography teaching in middle school. Foreign countries attach great importance to the use of maps in teaching. For example, United States and Israel use the electronic maps represented by the Google Earth in teaching and they are on the way of using modernized teaching means for teaching.However, the domestic situation is very different.The new curriculum standard also emphasizes the training of map skills, but geography has long been marginalized as non-mainstream subject. Some geographical teachers don't want to delve into teaching and ignore the application of maps in the teaching due to lack of sense of subjects belonging and sense of status approval. What's more, they turn a deaf ear to the modernized teaching tool such as electronic maps. This is undoubtedly contrary to the melody of the times development.The significant advantages of electronic maps are highlighted by comparing papery maps and electronic maps. Electronic maps will be increasingly favored by the vast geography teachers, with its dynamic and multi-dimensional display, interactive and seamless operation, rich and layered content.Specific application of Google Earth is discussed in detail from Physical Geography and Human Geography, on the base of elaborating the function of maps in geography teaching and the application strategy of electronic maps in geography teaching. So it can highlight the importance of geography teaching application of electronic maps, canse the attention of teachers for electronic maps, especially for Google Earth, and try to provide specific methods of application which can be used for reference.It is proposed that some factors restrict the teaching inevitably, such as proficiency of teachers in the operation of the software and teaching ideas, study basis and interest of students, hardware devices in school and inherent shortcoming of Google Earth, by analyzing the affecting factors of effective teaching of Google Earth. It can provide reference of improving Google Earth teaching and enhancing the teaching validity.