Google Maps

 For this activity we used Google Maps to create a field trip for students. I have always wanted to do a literary tour of Massachusetts, so I decided to pretend like I was going to take my class on the same trip. I had a lot of fun scouting out places I would like to visit, and who knows- maybe I really will get to take my students on this field trip one day!

 First, I created an overview of the trip in Google Docs, then I embedded a picture of the map I created into the document using Jing. I also uploaded my map to the web, which you can view here.

 

I think students would have a lot of fun using Google Maps in the classroom. One activity I could assign is to have them research an author and create a map of some historical sites relating to their author. This activity would make research fun and interactive, and it might provide some insight into the works of the selected author. For example, if a student chose Sylvia Plath they could map out where she was born, where she lived, where she went to school, and maybe even some of her favorite hang out spots. This information would give the student a lot of insight into her work and they could store it in a fun map and present it to the class. It would be a lot more interactive than writing an essay and it's nice having options while exposing them to the world of technology!

I really enjoyed this activity and I can see myself using Google Maps to plan my future trips. I've always passively used it to get directions, but I've never created a map myself before. Very cool!