Google Sheets & My Maps - Connect Student Literature with Geography

By -
 
There are many cool things that can be done with My Maps, but this is one that uses Google Sheets. 

Often when students are reading a novel, they have no location context to put cities or places that are mentioned.  There are teachers that have been using Google Lit Trips for many years, but what if you are unable to use Google Earth?  What if you want a simpler activity that students can complete quickly? What if you want something that is accessible to students in their G Suite Drive?

You can build a quick activity using Google Sheets and My Maps.  Here's how:

1. Set up your Google Sheet
Provide headers for anything you want included on the pop-ups for the markers on the map.  Here I have set up so students can add the following: Place, Description, Chapter, Location, Support Link

2. Fill in the data
This can be done by you, or you can share the sheet with your students and have them fill it in.  Any cells can be left blank, with the exception of the Place and Location cells - these are needed for the name and placement of the marker.

3. Create a My Map in Drive
Go to your Drive and create a new map. 

4. Set Map Details
Give the map a name and description.

5. Import the Data
Import in your spreadsheet data to create the markers. Select Location for the marker latitude and longitude; select Place for the marker name.

You can customize the data by adding additional map features, such as lines marking distance between 2 markers, or additional land markers in the area. 

Each marker will display as much or as little information as was filled in on the spreadsheet:

If you add an additional marker on the map, you have the option to fill in these same data fields and can uncheck those you don't want to appear. 

You can also change your Base map to different topographical settings


While not nearly as elegant as Google Earth, it can still be a valuable learning tool for students to begin building awareness of the greater community of our world. 

My Map vs Google Earth


If you want to learn about building an official Google Lit Trip, I highly recommend Eric Curts' (@ericcurts) post on Creating Lit Trips and Tours for Google Earth.

Popular posts from this blog

Google Script - Create a Drop-Down List from Spreadsheet Column

By -
Image
(Updated on 3/21/2017 - triggers have been moved!) ( I just created a new related post on how to create a multiple choice  question on the form that a bit simplified - takes the "other" answers in a multiple choice question on a form, and updates the multiple choice options with those as options.) I guess it was only a matter of time before I ended up dabbling with Google Scripts.  Today I was asked by a teacher how he could populate a drop-down list on his Google Form from data on a spreadsheet - and have it update as he changed the data.  Not finding an add-on for this (why recreate the wheel? :-)  I explored creating a script.  And...discovered that this task is not too hard! To do this yourself - 1. Create your form.   Really important step.  Make sure to create your drop-down item and give it a title, but you do not need to add any options to it (because later you will populate it from the spreadsheet). 2. Create the spreadsheet where your list will reside. Yo
Read more

Google Calendar - How to Share Your Calendar Via Link

By -
Image
Google Calendar provides a couple ways you can share your calendar.  The first way you will see below provides a link that lets another person subscribe to your calendar.  They will need to be logged into their Google account, and it will display YOUR calendar along with their own. (Personally, I find this method the best for adding my kids' and husband's events so I see our families events all in one calendar.)  The second method displays your calendar in a browser window.  This is probably the preferred Teacher method for sharing with parents. (Here is a video on How to Share Your Calendar Via a Link .) When in your Google Calendar: Click on the Options menu (stacked dots) for the calendar you want to share - Select Settings and sharing - Click on Access permissions on the left side - Click on the Get shareable link - Note that who can see the calendar with this link depends on the access permissions you have set right above.  For example, with the setti
Read more

2019 MACUL Conference Tipsheet #1 - Food Tips & Special Events

By -
Image
(This is 1 in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to this year's conference.) Yes, you are attending the conference for all the great learning and networking.  However, eating is still a necessity and it is important to know where to find food while in Detroit...especially food that you can get quickly, without waiting in long lines!  Here are some tips and hints for dealing with that while at Cobo, along with some special events you should know about: Staying Hydrated : make sure you stay hydrated! there are several fountains and water coolers provided throughout the venue to get water - bring along a refillable cup/mug and keep filling it all day instead of purchasing expensive bottles of water Food at Cobo : there are several food vendors right in COBO; some tips about these: there will be around 4000 attendees AND hundreds of additional vendors at the venue, and everyone will be taking about the same meal breaks - either pick up food at
Read more

Google Contacts - Newest Area to Get Some "Google Love"

By Anonymous -
Image
Be ready!  Your Google Contacts is about to update its looks.  I don't know about you, but I don't go to Google Contacts often.  I just don't like it.  If you need a refresher, this is what it looks (looked) like - Looked & felt very...dated.  This morning in going to one of my Google accounts, I got the pop-up window in my contacts.  Here is a screenshot of the new look - Hoping that the Google Love includes more than just the interface.  If there are any big changes that make Contacts more easily managed & navigated, you can be sure to see another blog post or two about it!
Read more

Google Slides - Rulers & Guides

By -
Image
A menu change happened for me this morning in Google Slides (on just my work account, not on my personal account yet).  The addition of both turning on/off a ruler, and adding guides onto the slide to help with placement if you are varying from the pre-built theme layouts. Here is the menu change showing the additional options - RULER The ruler works as you would expect it to.  When you select it from the View menu, it displays a horizontal and vertical ruler at the top and left of the side - When you are moving an object on the slide, you will see blue lines marking the location of the ends and middle of the object on both toolbars - GUIDES When you select to view the guides, you see the midpoint guides on the slides -  Guides do have some more flexibility as you can add additional guides on the slide, and drag them to the location of your choice - There is also the option to "Edit guides" and enter them in a window, as well -
Read more