Google Sketchup
Sketchup is a free desktop-based drawing tool from Google that can be used to model 3D designs, including homes, objects, and interiors. Models built in Sketchup can also be imported into Google Earth.
You’ve likely come here because you attended my workshop on Sketchup at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education or NECC in San Antonio. Welcome! This page details some resources and 4 screen casts that will get you started with modeling using Sketchup. My fourth screencast outlines some lesson ideas.
Screencast 1
Sketchup Screencast 1 from John Hendron on Vimeo.
Screencast 2
Sketchup Screencast 2 from John Hendron on Vimeo.
Screencast 3
Sketchup Screencast 3 from John Hendron on Vimeo.
Screencast 4
SketchUp Screencast 4 from John Hendron on Vimeo.
Online Resources
Curriculum Connections
Math
- Number sense, decimals, fractions
- Geometry (area, volume, shapes)
- Basic Operations (Division, addition, subtraction)
- Measurement (perimeter, area, radius)
- Time
- Angles, center point, symmetry
- Problem-solving
- Visualization of Fractions
Science
- Observation
- Data Collection
- Cause-Effect Relationships
- Inference (inference lines, dots, and guides)
- Manipulative vs. Responding Variables
- Shadow/Sun Position
- Prediction
- Transparent/Opaque
- Measurement
- Visualization
Perspective
- 3D versus 2D Space
- Comparison of Size, Color, Shape
History (using Sketchup and/or Google Earth)
- Global Locations
- Exploring Architecture