TECH4ARTED
Take a Commemorative
Art Tour in Google Maps
Theresa McGee
As our online world grows more complex, it provides the opportunity to bring us geographically closer.
Forget the bus ride and permission
slips, Google Maps can transport us
to amazing places in only seconds.
Investigate an artist’s birthplace, visit
cultures around the world, or explore
architecture in your community.
Commemorate Artists
A great way to get started with Google
Maps is by using maps others have
already created. Explore the various
commemorative monuments in and
around Washington, DC, using the
locations already marked for you in
this custom Google Map: tinyurl.com/
DCgoogleMap. This map includes
embedded images, links to additional
information, and video. Access other
historical cities and museums with an
online visit to 100 Incredible Virtual
Tours ( tinyurl.com/100Virtual Tours).
Find additional maps by clicking
“show search options” from the
Google Maps page and select “user
created maps.” If you’re new to
Google Maps, this video introduction will help you navigate: tinyurl.
com/2vk4mcb.
Street and Earth View
Add a new dimension to any Google
Map through Street and Earth View.
These fantastic features will enable
you to zoom down to street level and
view the area as if you were actually
on location. While satellite or map
view is selected, a yellow “Pegman”
will appear on your map. Grab “
Pegman” with your cursor and drag him
to a place of interest on the map. This
will enable you to view images from
the street. Go here to see how this feature works: tinyurl.com/y8w4jj6.
Your tour would not be complete
without the exploration of the three-dimensional architectural models
included in many parts of Earth View
(formerly labeled terrain) Learn how to
navigate in earth view here: youtube.
com/watch%3fv%3DYHe3ag3i8v8.
Create Your Own Google Map
Create a Google Map of your own to
commemorate art and architecture in
your community. Start by creating a
Google account ( tinyurl.com/Google-
Account), which will give you access
to all the iGoogle homepage features
including Google Maps. Create your
own map by clicking “maps” at the
top of your iGoogle homepage, click
“my maps,” then “get started” and fol-
low all instructions. You can watch a
walkthrough illustrating these steps
and learn how to add your own images
and link to external files: tinyurl.
com/34dmd69.
Integrate and Explore
Tailor a Google Map experience to
meet the needs of the youngest stu-
dents up through the most advanced.
Here are a few ideas to explore:
•;Teach;about;line,;texture,;and;shape
from a bird’s-eye view.
•;Make;connections;to;social;studies
by viewing architectural styles during a specific time period.
•;Launch;a;lesson;on;aboriginal;art-ists’ geographic location.
•;Explore;one-;or;two-point;perspec-tive in your community using
Street View.
•;Have;students;find;images;of;inter-esting terrain to use as inspiration
in their artwork.
•;Create;a;map;documenting;art
museums your students can visit
during vacation trips.
•;Allow;students;to;create;their;own
map as part of a presentation on the
life of an artist.
•;Go;on;a;virtual;scavenger;hunt
using historical photographs or
landscape paintings.
Theresa McGee is an elementary art educator in Hinsdale, Illinois and writes an
art education blog (teaching palette.com).
tmcgee@d181.org
