What is My Maps?

Google’s My Maps is a great tool for teachers and learners alike. Teachers can use it as an interactive platform to present lesson materials. Learners can use My Maps to document what they have learned. It’s a very versatile tool as it allows you to easily create custom maps, share them, and use built-in tools to work with the maps themselves. My Maps is also a great tool for project-based learning (PBL) activities.

Using My Maps

To start working with My Maps, type mymaps.google.com into the browser. Since My Maps does not appear in the apps launcher, it’s a good idea to bookmark it or pin it to a Chromebook shelf. From here, you will have the option of creating a new map or editing a map you have previously created. You can also access My Maps from Google Drive by clicking on “New” and then “More.”

On the My Maps home screen, you can create a new map by clicking on the “Create a New Map” option. When you choose this option, a new untitled map will be created. Now, give your map a title and you’re free to start working immediately! There are so many features — you can search for a location on the map to zoom into the location. You can add markers, draw lines, and even measure distances between locations. Other options include adding layers, sharing your map for collaboration, and previewing your map. You can even import a map from a .csv file or an Excel spreadsheet or a Google Sheet. From the My Maps home screen, there’s also the option to open up maps that are not your own and create a copy that can be edited. Click on the Explore tab to check them out, and if you want to export the map as a .kmz and later import it — well, you can do that too!

Classroom ideas

My Maps is a great tool for the classroom. Teachers can create maps to share with their students, or even share through Google Classroom. For a great classroom idea, have students create a virtual field trip across the USA – or even around the world. This is a great opportunity for project-based learning activities as well, as students can drop pins across their map, compute distances, and calculate mileage and even gas consumption. The possibilities are endless.

For more tips and tricks from Teq around technology integration in the classroom, visit our Teq Talk blog homepage.