Next week is Geography Awareness Week. Google Earth is my favorite educational technology tool to use to teach history and geography lessons. And one of my favorite things to do with Google Earth is to overlay historic maps onto current maps. It’s a great way for students to see how borders have changed over time, how landscapes have changed over time, and how our understanding of the world has changed throughout history. 

There are a couple of ways to overlay historical maps on current maps in Google Earth. The first is to simply use the Rumsey Historical Maps collection layer in Google Earth. That method is demonstrated here. The other method is to find a historic map, download it, then use it as an image overlay in Google Earth. That method is demonstrated here. 

If you’re interested in learning more about using Google Earth and Google Maps in your classroom, my self-paced Crash Course in Google Eath & Maps for Social Studies is 50% off!