Stop Four – Mapping
Creating a Map Link
A map link on the first slide of your TP is critical for emergency response personnel – they need to know where you are!
You will read the directions for creating a link with Google – My Maps. Try some discovery learning and use all the tools.
Within the TP template maps and location become paramount to your TP product. Your contacts, parents, and friends…emergency services personnel always want to know, “where are they?”
Here’s the process to create an effective map link with details (anecdote and photos). Again, go to the TP examples provided. One tip, your eventual map link should be on the first slide of your TP package – that is for easy access to emergency services personnel.
For another example you can go to the My Maps YouTube tutorial:
Go to Google – My Maps (having a Google Gmail account will help; you will automatically sign in.) This is not Google Earth or Google Maps.
- Go to Create or open a map.
- In the upper left [Create a Map] and the world map will open.
- In the search window at the top you can put in addresses and place names…experiment. (You can put in coordinates…decimal degrees are best.) (Whatever, specifically is in the data base, specifically or by place name will come up; spelling and specifics do matter to location.)
- You fly there and then it will most likely be zoomed in…so back off to a scale that you can see where you are in relation to other landmarks. Experiment with this.
- It is here that I go to the bottom left of the dialog box…seed the drop down arrow and open up your various “map” scapes (terrain, streets etc…) Experiment, but then go to Satellite, middle upper row.
- A place or push pin will appear denoting the location you have chosen.
- Left click on it and a dialog box will open.
- When you click the + sign…it will open a new dialog box. You will see the decimal degrees (latitude and longitude only and this cannot be changed)
- Engage the pencil – edit – button and add more details. (This will be your choice and will add detail to the location. You can change the title as well.)
- You can add a Google photo or any photo that has a link (like in Prezi) or a YouTube video. Any link.
- **You can change the style and icons (the paint can). Experiment.
- YOU WILL SEE THE LOCATION IS IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS ON THE LEFT…you can change the style and the labels. Experiment.
- Look at the Import function…you can upload files from your Google Drive and from the other file functions. (For example once you know GPS…. The .gpx file extension from a point, track or route can be uploaded.) We will talk about that later.
- * You will see a number of boxes below the search dialogue box. You can add other markers…find directions…draw a line and measure…Experiment with all of these.
- See the SHARE radio button…when you click on this you will need a TITLE and other detailed description in the dialog box. (Ensure any one can receive.)
- **In the upper right hand corner you will see three vertical radio buttons to click on. Some options…especially the KML than be used on Google Earth and the embed in your website.
- Then the Shared Settings dialog box will open and you will want to change this to PUBLIC and save it.