Using Google Maps in the Classroom

                  Part of our assignment this week was to come up with a lesson idea for our students using maps.  In thinking about my 3^rd grade curriculum and our school, I came up with a few different ideas.

1.  Every year, the 4^th grade students in our building take a trip to Mackinac Island in the spring.  I think one great activity would be for the students to create a map of the different places they will visit in Mackinac Island.  They can landmark the important points that they will visit and include links to websites that provide more information about each of the landmarks.  In doing so, the students would learn more about the places as well.  To begin this lesson, I would show them the different features of the Google Maps page and allow them some time to get familiar with the site and the different tools.  Next, I would provide the students with an itinerary for the trip (they would need to know the name of the different locations we would be visiting).  After seeing the itinerary, I would give my students time to find different websites that provide more information about the different locations that we would be visiting.  This way they can have websites prepared when it is time to go to create their Google Map.  Finally, students would be given several lab sessions to create their map along with links to the different locations.  I think this lesson would provide students a good technology lesson, good background knowledge for their trip to Mackinac, build anticipation, and provide motivation for those students who need to get more accomplished or improve their behavior in order to go on the trip.

2.  My next ideas all sort of go together.  Being a 3^rd grade teacher lends itself quite well to this assignment because we teach about Michigan.  Again, one of the first tasks would be to familiarize students with Google Maps and the possibilities that it provides.  I would show students several tools while they have it in front of them to try out themselves.  Then I would allow them time to simply explore on their own using the tools I discussed and other tools available.  Prior to exploring Google Maps and as a part of our Social Studies curriculum, we would have discussed several different things related to Michigan.  For example, we will have discussed Michigan’s natural resources (especially things like iron and copper that are important to Michigan) and where they can be found.  Thus, one idea would be to create a map of the natural resources in Michigan and where they can be found.  Another idea would be to create a map of Michigan’s attractions.  Last year, I had my students create brochures for the different cities that hold some of Michigan’s attractions, but creating a map that identifies the many different attractions we have in Michigan would be very useful.  Finally, in the 3^rd grade curriculum, we discuss different Michigan products and where they are produced.  To go along with this, the students could create a map that indicates the products made by Michigan and where those products are mainly produced. 

View Products made in Michigan in a larger map