Adding Lit Trips to Google Earth on a Chromebook

This Tech Tip came after working with some teachers at Patrick Henry schools at an inservice. They were trying to load a Lit Trip that had been emailed to them into Google Earth on their teacher Chromebooks and it was not working correctly.

If you are wondering, “What is a Lit Trip?” you might not be alone. Many teachers have not heard of this wonderful tech idea which is essentially a series of locations that you can load into Google Earth and have the students fly and visit virtually, the places described in a piece of literature.

An example is the Diary of Anne Frank. You sign up for Lit Trips at the website.

http://www.googlelittrips.org/

STEP 1

Visit the Lit Trip Library and choose which one you would like to do. There are currently 83 titles available. You visit the GLT store and complete a form with your email address and the Lit Trip you would like to be sent to you.

STEP 2

Open your email and click on the link. You will have been sent a zipped archive (.zip file)

The download status will popup. Click SHOW IN FOLDER to see the zip file in your Files app on the Chromebook.

The Files app will open.

Now here is where the Chromebook is different than a regular PC or Mac. Those two operating systems allow you to natively (or with a helper app) open and view zipped archives.

You can do the same on a Chromebook but you must be in the Files app. The Files app will mount a zip file as an external drive if you double click the file.