Google Maps

Description

Google Maps is a free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder.  It also offers street maps, a route planner for traveling by foot, bicycle, car, or public transport and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world. 

Reasons for Use

Here are some ways to use Google Maps in your classroom:

• Geography- You can locate any of the states or countries in the world.
• Map Skills- You can study how to use a compass rose and the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west).
• Directions- You can obtain directions to various places in the world.
• Landforms- You can look at maps with many different kinds of terrains and bodies of water such as mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers, or oceans.
• Planning a trip- You can create various rest stops along the way to visit historical places.
• Measurement- You can set the quickest route or another route.  Students could compare the number of miles it would take for both routes.

Tutorials

Maps Tutorials

This tutorial will help you create your first Google Map for your classroom.

This tutorial is divided into the following sections:

• Section 1: Setting Up a Google Pages Account
• Section 2: Getting a Working Map Online
• Section 3: Finding the Latitude/Longitude of Your Location
• Section 4: Customizing the Map
• Summary  

Helpful Resources

Google Tour with quick videos

http://maps.google.com/help/maps/tour/

Click on any of the tutorials below to get more information about Google Maps.

Driving Directions

Transit

Street View

Add a Place

Maps on Android

Edit the Map

Explore a Place

Create a Map

Add Content

Find Businesses

Google Maps Help

http://maps.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=15920

Recommended Titles

Here is a blog that is supported by Google Maps! Click on the link below to check it out!

http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/

Samples

Click on the link below to interact with an actual Google Map.

Be sure to try out all of the cool features that this program has to offer.

Click on the four tabs at the top labeled: Map, Satellite, Hybrid, and Terrain.

Practice zooming in and out with the tool on the left side of the page.

Use the hand to move the map to where you would like it to be.

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/examples/map-simple.html

Where to find the program

You can get to Google Maps by clicking on this link: http://maps.google.com/maps.  You can also go to www.google.com and simply click on the maps tab at the top left corner.

Here's a quick preview of what the program looks like.

FAQs

See above Google Maps tutorials and tours for more information.