United States Map US Physical Geography Map Google Earth Map Activities

Start your U.S. history unit with a hands-on, digital geography investigation students actually enjoy.

This inquiry-based Google Geography activity uses Google Maps, Google Earth, and Google Slides to help students discover how physical geography shaped the lives of early Americans — all in a self-paced, digital interactive notebook format.

What students do:

• Satellite Map Investigation – Preview the continent and predict answers to a focus question using rich satellite imagery
• Virtual Field Trip (Google Slides) – Take a closer look at key physical features through visual slides
• Label the Feature Activity – Reveal labeled physical features with each click
• Fill-in-the-Blank Geography Activity – Apply what they’ve learned by labeling a blank map
• Drag-and-Drop Activity – Match physical feature labels to the correct spots on a satellite map
• Close Reading & Interactive Map Activity – Click on highlighted civilizations, read how they adapted to their location, and summarize using a word bank
• Google Earth Scavenger Hunt – Use coordinates to “fly” to and identify real locations
• Google Forms Assessment – Show mastery with a physical geography quiz based on the same map studied earlier

Built for digital classrooms:
Designed to run seamlessly in Google Classroom, this resource works equally well for in-person, remote, or hybrid learning — and can be reused year after year until students reach content mastery.