How to Participate in a Google Maps Project

Use Google Maps for school, work and pleasure.

Annotated maps are great visual aides when discussing your travel experience with others. Google Maps makes sharing easy by providing free online tools for creating, customizing, saving, printing, and publicizing your maps. By adjusting your Google Maps settings you can easily collaborate with others. Allow anyone to edit your map and watch it grow. Print map projects to share with family, or post maps on your website and reach a global audience.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet Access
• Email address
• Google account

Instructions

1. You need to have a Google account to use Google Maps, and an email address to create a Google account. Visit "https://www.Google.com/accounts/NewAccount?service=local" or Google search keyword: Google Accounts. Follow the directions for filling the online form. If you already have a Google account visit "http://www.Google.com" to sign-in.

2. Navigate to Google Maps. You may select "Maps" from the top of the Google menu or type "http://maps.google.com" in the URL field. (Google Maps is compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and other popular browsers. This application may not work from your mobile phone.)

3. Type the address or name of the first location on your map in the white search bar to the right of the "Google Maps" logo. The map will re-center and mark your chosen location with a red pin. The left menu will show the street address you typed. If there are multiple markers on the map (A, B, C, etc) Google has been unable to pinpoint the location you typed. Scroll down the list of locations to the left and select the blue title of the address that you want. You can also type a new search in the bar at the top to try a different address.

4. Click the red marker in the map window. This will open a small white box with a street view and address. Many businesses also have reviews, phone numbers, web sites, and other information in this white window. Select the "Save to..." option at the bottom of the white pop-up window. Select "Create a new map" from the drop-down menu then press "Save".

5. Look at the top of the screen above the map preview. A yellow bar will be there that reports your last action. (Adding the location to the map) In blue text at the right side of the yellow strip is the option to "View map". Click the blue text.

6. Rename your map. Click "edit" in the left menu. You may change the title, description, and public/private status of your map. Click done when you have finished making changes.

7. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all of your locations have been added. (Instead of selecting "create new map" in the save to menu, select the name of your map) Use the print, send, and link buttons above the map to share your map with others.

8. To collaborate with others in the making of a map, Go to "My Maps" and select the map you'd like to work on. Click the word "collaborate" at the top of the left menu. Follow the prompts. Follow-up with your collaborators to see how your map is expanding.

Tips & Warnings

• Use Google Maps to map out your high school classmates. Where has everyone gone?

• Use Google Maps to keep track of restaurants and stores you enjoy. Keeping the information online is easier and less messy than lugging around business cards.

• Use Google Maps to plan a sight-seeing tour for your next vacation.

• Do not share the personal information of others in a public map.

References

• Google: Google Maps