Friends, Romans, teachers, lend me your computers: Ancient Rome 3D
November 25, 2008
Taking a group of students on a field trip to Rome may be financially unrealistic, and taking them to Ancient Rome is physically impossible. Fortunately, an international team of researchers worked more than 10 years to provide the next best thing: a three-dimensional model of Rome in the year 320 AD.
Enter Ancient Rome 3D and witness the best view of Ancient Rome in over 15 centuries. Brought to you by Google Earth, this digital glimpse into the past is simply awesome. For those of you who have never used Google Earth, the two-minute instructional video on the intro page is helpful. You will need to download the program itself, which will run the simulation. A word of caution: slower computers (like mine) may have a hard time running Ancient Rome 3D without freezing up. I suggest closing all other programs and exercising a little patience. You should also note that the directional control at the top of the screen adjusts your horizontal perspective. In other words, the control allows you to see buildings as if you were walking towards them, as opposed to the default overhead angle.
Once you’ve become familiar with the program, the next step is to introduce Ancient Rome 3D into the classroom. Google is sponsoring a Rome Curriculum Competition, “accepting curricula from all grade levels and K-12 subject areas including art history, math, social studies, physics, and philosophy.” Contest winners will feel like they’ve achieved gladiatorial victory, without the risk of getting torn apart by wild animals. –JIMI RADABAUGH
Related Stuff:
Explore Early Civilizations with BBC Ancient History
National Geographic’s Explore a Pyramid: Archaeology with No Risk of Snakes or Nazis!
