Go to Google Maps and login using your Google Account |
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In the top left you will see a link to My Maps. Click on it. |
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The image on the right appears. Click on Create new map. |
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New icons of tools appear on your map that allow you to create your tour. |
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You now have the opportunity to name your Google Maps Tour (Curricular Unit), describe it briefly, and choose between making it Public or Unlisted. |
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On the right is the example of my Earthquake Unit Tour.
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Be sure to click the Save Button after you name and describe your Google Maps Tour. |
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Now it's time to travel virtually to the first stop on your tour. Type in the address or landmark you wish visit virtually |
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In the left column, a list of possible sites that match your search appears. |
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In the main screen, a map of possible sites that match your search appears. |
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Zoom in to locate your exact site. |
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Click on the Pushpin Tool and then click on the exact locattion of the first stop on your tour.
A window, as shown on the right, appears. |
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Add a title for the first stop on your tour. See example to the right. |
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When you click on the default blue pushpin, a wide choice of icons appears. Use any of these icons, or create a custom icon. In the example below, you can see that I choose an icon that represented an earthquake. |
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Now add a description of the first stop on your tour.
Remember to click Save frequently! |
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Click on the Rich text button to bring up additional tools, similar to tools within a word processing program. Highlight the text you wish, then change its font, color, etc. |
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How it's time to add links to the Web.
Highlight the text that will become a link, then click on the link icon.
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A dialog box appears requesting the URL for your external link. |
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Paste the URL of the web site that will allow learners to click from your tour to the Web for additional information. |
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Now you text appears as a link: blue and underlined before it's visited, and purple and underlined after it's visited.
You can create links to videos or any other web sites in the same way. |
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Now it's time to add graphics. You can link only to graphics of the Web. The easiet way to accomplish this is to go to Google Images. |
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Choose Advanced Image Search. |
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Type in search words or a phrase and click Search. |
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A collection of images matching your search appears. Scroll through the images until you come to one will enhance the learner's understanding of the concept. |
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Click on it and a thumbnail of the image appears. Click on the text See full size image. |
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The full size image appears. |
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Copy the URL from the address line, and then return to the Google Map you are creating. |
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Click on the image icon.
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Paste the URL of the web site containing the image you have just found in your image search. Click OK.
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Your image appears in your tour. |
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VITAL STEP: Save all your work. The Save Button is in the left column. Then click Done. |
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Example of a completed Placemark for Stop # 1 on your tour!
Phew! It get's much easier the second, third, fourth .... time around! |
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