Final Project - Using Google Maps

Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario
Kari Haugeto

Brief Overview: Travel is always more fun when shared. But we usually wait until after the experience. With Google Maps our family created our travel plans, researched our destinations, invited friends and family to make recommendations and then used the map as a geographic scrapbook of our adventure. We hope the Map will continue to grow as other visit the same areas we traveled building on our experiences. You can do this too, whether before, after or during your next venture. This Google Maps clinic will provide you with the tools to do this and much more.



1. Target Audience- Families with young children that travel for education and pleasure, looking to involve their children in more of the process and presentation of their adventure.

2. Materials– You will need these items to participate:
• Computer
• Internet connection
• Web browser
• Google account
• Google Earth app
• A trip to document

3. Objectives– At the end of this scenario the learners will be able to:

• Create and design personalized maps using Google Maps
• Choose and import images, documents and movies related to your subject to the map
• Demonstrate that you can share them with the world or a private audience and open them up for collaboration with remote users
• Demonstrate that you can add images, video and/or written content to another person’s map
• Integrate your map with Google earth
• Export your data into other applications that use Google Earth and Google Maps

4. Procedure–
• Ask students about places they have been, are planning to visit and where they go all the time.
• Type an address or business name into the Google maps search bar to show how search works
• Show how navigate, to zoom in and out of the map.
• Also show how to switch from Views (Satellite to Earth to Map) and the Features menu
• As a group decide the theme of map for the class.
• Each student should choose a place or trip they will map themselves. Based on their subject have them create a title and description for their map.
• The map will include at least five markers, so have them list five spots to mark as well.
• Show students how to create a personal map in Google maps and have them follow along.
• Make sure they make the map publically available.
• Show the students the marker menu and how to create windows. Next add the 5 markers. They should choose icons when appropriate.
• Show the students how to upload images, how to insert video and images into windows
• Have the students use the line tool to show path from one point to another. Also show them how to mark an area. Depending on their map theme they may not need to use these tools but they important to know.
• Next show students how to use the features menu. Spend time of the webcams, images, videos and wiki.
• Give the students time to find images or movies and write content for their markers.
• Show students how to invite collaborators. Have them allow everyone to edit this map but email invitations to all class members and you.
• Find a link to another Google map
• Show students how adding markers, images, video, windows and features is the same as in their own map.
• Show them how to leave comments on another person’s map.
• Then show how they can do the same thing to help update the maps on Google.
• Have the students visit 5 other maps from the class and leave comments or post markers with content.
• Have students email friends or family to invite them to comment or leave markers as well.

5. Web 2.0 Tool– Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/) and Google Earth give a unique visual perspective of our planet, allow us to document everything from the mundane morning school run to a detailed scrapbook-style journal of our travel and includes collaborative features allowing us to develop maps together and share them with just family and friends or the world.

6. Social Participation/Social Learning– Even though we’re making personal maps, we are also learning how to share the maps with others and how to add to other people’s maps.
• As a class choose the subject theme for all our maps
• Create a publicly available map
• Invite others to view and collaborate in the building of the map
• Go to other people’s maps and add content

7. Making Connections– What we are doing is taking an experience the learner has already enjoyed or is planning and having them make geographic connections by placing items on the map. When organizing these items in the map they will also review their experiences, recall events and possibly find other facts about the area they had visited or plan to visit. It also puts everything in a format that allows them to share their experiences with others and have others with similar experiences to include theirs.

8. Create/Produce – In the end each learner will have created a map based on the chosen theme that includes information provided by classmates. They can then share this with friends or the world allowing the project to continue to grow.

9. Assessment –See Rubric for Google Maps Clinic here.

10. Reflection – Reflection is an integral part of this exercise. The student will be called upon to recall their experiences and share them with others. But we are also interested in ways to improve the program and better match the interests of the learner. Therefore learners will be asked to complete a Google Form. The form will ask them to explain the value of the exercise to them, describe how they might have performed this task in the past, list other ways they might use the same tools and list specific programs they are familiar with that perform similar functions. There will also be a text area where they can make suggestions.

The leader/trainer should track student progress through the exercises and keep a log of the questions that arise during discussions and in emails before and afterwards. This log will be helpful in expanding any descriptions or improving tutorials. If possible, note student enthusiasm for different aspects of the program and at the end cross-reference these with the reflection. The end result should be a log with a reflective abstract heading and bullet points for improvements and additions.