Monster Milktruck

Monster Milktruck is a great "game" that operates using the Google Earth plugin. This plug-in allows your web browser to display aspects of Google Earth right in the browser window, leading to some fantastic interactive content. Monster Milktruck allows you to use your arrow keys to drive a milktruck over various 3-D landscapes (you can enter any location and it will "teleport" there). It's totally uncrashable, leading to a frustration-free experience. This resource could simply be used as a reward for work well-done, or to target some specific concepts.

Technical Notes:
Monster Milktruck requires the Google Earth plug-in to be installed, and it only works in certain operating systems and browsers:

Microsoft Windows (2000, XP, and Vista)

• Google Chrome 1.0+
• Internet Explorer 6+
• Firefox 2.0+
• Flock 1.0+

Apple Mac OS X 10.4 and higher (Intel and PowerPC)

• Safari 3.1+
• Firefox 3.0+

Language Lens:

• In addition to being a great reinforcer, time spent with Monster Milktruck could target a variety of spatial concepts (left/right, through/around, etc), geographic categories, description of landscapes or "what's in a town?"
• This resource could also be used to build schema around past and present, with an eye to how people used to get milk and how they get it now...perhaps in conjunction with a book like Pilkey's The Paperboy.
• Monster Milktruck would be a motivating visual way to explore and describe any location relevant to the curriculum (e.g. U.S. Capitals) and compare/contrast the experience.