Online+Maps


 * Online Maps**


 * Google Earth**

http://www.google.com/earth/index.html

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After looking at Google Earth it appears that there is a ton of information that can be accessed using this software. We marked it off as easy to use though we would say that it would require some front-end instruction to show the students how to use all of the functions. There is no account needed but it is something that needs to be loaded onto your computer (though there are free and pro versions). Some of the really neat features are the fact that you can track paths, measure distances, check out photos and land features, etc. I don’t know exactly if I could utilize it in the classroom but something really neat that I looked at briefly was a historical imagery feature where you could see the transformation of a city or landscape over time.


 * Google Maps**



https://maps.google.com/

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Google Maps has a lot going for it. I think that in regards to its usability it is a little easier to use than google earth because there doesn’t appear to be as many bells and whistles. What we discovered that is especially cool is the ability to get ground views of what is occurring in real time. Or close there to. No account is needed which means you have to invest very little in regards to getting started with your in class instruction.


 * Scribble Maps**



http://scribblemaps.com/

Scribble Maps is a tool that allows you to access maps and than to draw on them, write text, place designs, or to add images. It is free and is pretty easy to use after playing around on it for a bit. Students can also access other maps to see examples of what they might want to do. There are fewer features and I suppose less information than can be gathered from this site as opposed to google earth or google maps. We think that this website would be great for a geography lesson on coordinates.

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Online Map Rubric


 * **Criteria** || **Excellent** || **Average** || **Poor** ||
 * Map Usability || Maps are user friendly and understood easily || Map is usable but can be somewhat difficult to understand || Hard to use and requires a lot of effort to understand ||
 * Information available || There is lots of information that can be gained from the Map. || There is some information that can be gained from the Map. || There is little information that can be gained from the Map. ||
 * Visual Content || There are lots of pictures and visually stimulating information that can be gained from the Map. || There are some pictures and visually displayed information that can be gained from the Map. || There are few pictures and almost no visually stimulating information that can be gained from the Map. ||
 * Accounts Needed || No account is necessary and set up time is minimal. || Account is necessary but set-up time is minimal. || Account is necessary and set-up time takes too long. ||