Scribble Maps - Customize Google Maps, Draw on Google Maps, without even a sign up!

First of all, I always try to do a search to see if anyone has posted about the resources I want to share. I didn't see Scribble Maps mentioned on here other than a post I shared last month. I blogged about it on my blog today (http://classoftech.blogspot.com/) and thought I would share it with all of you awesome instructors on Classroom 2.0. Hope this can fit within your mapping and/or geography projects!

My Blog Post is Linked Here! If you dont want to check out my blog, feel free to read below!

Scribble Maps is an interactive Google Maps application that allows you to draw, write, add shapes, lines, etc to Google Maps. You do not have to sign up and the site opens and is ready to use the minute you open it in your web browser. Want to trace Lewis & Clark's Trailblazing adventures? Want to have students create a route to their favorite vacation destination? Want to highlight different areas of your own community? Scribble Maps allows you to do it.

Scribble Maps takes a few minutes to get the hang of, however, the tools are familiar to anyone who has used the drawing features in Paint or even Microsoft Word. Your students will pick it up and run with it in minutes.

http://www.scribblemaps.com

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Permalink Reply by Christopher M. Donovan on April 7, 2011 at 5:40am

This is pretty cool. I like that you can add information into those bubbles. One of my recap projects when I teach The Odyssey is to have the students trace a map of the Mediterranean Sea and then draw the route that Odysseus took home and then label the spots where he stopped and give a summary of what he did there. This tool would help me do the same project much more efficiently. I was using an overhead projector to project the map onto the front board and then the groups would take turns coming up and tracing it. I didn't realize how detailed everyone was going to be, but they really wanted to get every nook and cranny on that map. Subsequently, it took much longer than I thought to get all the maps traced. Too much down time/waiting time for some groups.
I see that with Scribble Maps, I could have each student work on their own map and add use the text bubbles to neatly add good information.

Thanks for the ideas, Dave.

mrchrisdonovan
Freelance Educator

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Permalink Reply by Ashley Culverhouse on April 7, 2011 at 10:52am

I believe this would be very beneficial to students. Knowing how to make a map can be very important. Doing it on the computer not only makes it easier in my opinion, but I believe it would also engage students interest more. As we are moving along throughout the years technology is becoming more and more critical in the world. The best place to start is in the classroom to prepare them for the real world.

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Permalink Reply by Ana-Alicia Valdez on April 10, 2011 at 8:44pm

I just checked out Scribble Maps and it looks like a really useful program. I am studying to be a Special Education teacher and was thinking about how it could be used in a Life Skills class. It is really important to help students understand how to navigate their community, especially areas that they frequent. Scribble Maps could be used to help students plot routes between locations they go on a daily or weekly basis. They could plot the route they take to get from home to school, from home to the grocery store, or from their home to their friend's house. I like that markers can be added to signify certain points and that images can be added to personalize the map. It might be neat to find or upload a picture of the school and then have the student add a comment about what grade they are in or what their favorite subject is. For this assignment I would also ask students to use markers to indicate different types of information that is important for them to know. There are markers that look like people and I think it would be neat to help the student place a marker for their parents and siblings. Students may want to indicate where members of their family spend their days, work or school, or places they go together. For example, if the student usually goes shopping with their father, they may chose to put a marker next to the location of the grocery store to represent their father. I know most students would need assistance in compiling information and plotting in out the map, but I think it would be a great way for students visualize how their community is laid out and how that effects them. Thank you so much for sharing. I can't wait to explore Scribble Maps further to see what other ideas come to mind.