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Digital Mapping: Google My Maps

Provided by: Roots and Shoots |Published on: June 21, 2022

Activity - Classroom Grades 6-8, 9-12

Synopsis

In this collaborative digital mapping project, students will work together to observe their community, ask and answer guiding questions, make a digital map of their community, and potentially design an environmental campaign based on their map.
The project guide provides teachers with detailed information for completing this multi-session group project.

Subjects: Science, Geography

Authors: Roots and Shoots

Region: Global

Languages: English

Positives

The guide includes instructions for extending the project into a grassroots environmental campaign.
The resource is rich with compelling and clarifying graphics, step-by-step directions, and great ideas.
Teachers can find a helpful example of an environmental campaign on page 11 of the guide.

Additional Prerequisites

Students will need access to a Google account to use the mapping software. The guide provides tips for what to do if students do not have their own Google accounts.
Physical materials for this project include markers or crayons, large sheets of white paper, glue or tape, maps, and a camera or printed pictures of the mapped area.

Differentiation

This could be a meaningful cross-curricular earth science and social studies project. Students could complete portions of the project in each class and then discuss how the fields of social studies and science are related.
Due to the length of the project, consider breaking students into groups. Groups can work on maps of the same area or they can work on different sections of their community.
As an extension, consider taking the next steps (outlined in step 11) to begin an environmental campaign.
Other related resources include this interactive mapping tool from the EPA, this map that shows cities that are working to eliminate parking mandates, and this interactive data resource from NASA.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format