There are many games, puzzles, classrooms interactions planned around Google Earth. This was the first time I tried to create a cryptogram using Google Earth for the Math Competition at my school. I designed the game keeping my Grade 3 – Grade 5 students in mind.

The school I work at is located in the beautiful heritage city of Mysore. It’s a valley surrounded by hills and forests, rivers and lakes, parks and reservations. Steeped in history, culture, and nature, Mysore offers families many ways in which to connect with all that it has to offer. But the pandemic and the recent lockdowns have confined our students to their homes. So, I thought it would be a good idea to explore Mysore through Google Earth.

I created a short Google Earth Project called Explore Mysore. The projects allows students to visit a few places on a map and read a synopsis from the landmarks of Mysore. They will then use the information to solve a simple Cryptogram and some extra questions. I made a sample cryptogram and a sample Google Earth project to get the students to try it out before the competition. Most of the students were able to complete it within 45 minutes. Some of my Grade 3 and Grade 4 students did struggle with some of the clues, such as, “5 times the answer to clue #5.” This makes me wonder if it’s better suited for slightly older students?

Feel free to try it with your classroom. Especially if you are a teacher in India, and are looking for ways to integrate Math and culture, this might be something you can try in your classroom.

Google Earth Project: Explore Math

Make a copy of Cryptogram for Grade 3 and Grade 4 on Google Docs

Make a copy of Cryptogram for Grade 5 on Google Docs

The standards and skills covered were:

1. Counting, place values, decimal places, and rounding
2. Different ways to communicate addition or multiplication (One more, Five times, etc.)
3. Measuring tools to measure in the units of your choice (metric or standard)
4. Deciphering and connecting cryptogram clues

I would love to hear your feedback. This is the first time I’ve used Google Earth in the classroom. Let me know if you have other ideas. And if you choose to use this puzzle in your classroom, leave a comment with your feedback as well. The answer scripts for the puzzles are available. Just leave a comment or email me and I’ll be happy to share them with you.

Have fun Exploring Mysore!