How to Annotate Google Maps
Step 1:
Once you have a Google Maps account you can login. On the home page under My Services click on Maps.
Step 2:
Before you can start annotating a map locate the area you want to annotate. It works best if you search an area first. Zoom in or out until the area you will need is completely in view. It could be as large or as small as you want (the whole Earth or just Raleigh). In the dialogue box that connects to the green arrow you will find several options. Select Save to My Maps and choose Create a new map. Then you will be asked to title your map; name it something that all the students will be able to recognize (such as The United States or USA). It will give you the choice of making your map public or unlisted. For safety, choose to create an unlisted map.
Step 3:
A dialogue box with an text box in it will appear above the location after you choose to create a new map. That is your first placemark that allows you to annotate your map. Give it a title and a description.
Step 4:
To add more annotations simply search for a location and let Google Maps find it for you. You may meet a problem if Google Maps does not recognize a name of a place but only an address. For example, I tried annotating Green Sand Beach on The Big Island in Hawaii. Green Sand beach is well off the beaten bath and does not have an address, nor is it a legal, proper name for the place. I had to search for the general area of Green Sand Beach on Google then I used the satellite images and the road map provided by Google Maps to find the beach.
Step 5:
Once you have found the location on the map of the place you want to annotate right click to get a menu of choices (for Mac users, ctrl click). Select Add a Placemark*. A placemark will appear with a dialogue box. Title the placemarker and add a description. You can even add a picture.
*If you have more than one map on your account make sure you only have the maps you want the placemark to show up on selected. If all of your maps are selected then the placemark will be added to all of them. For example, I am creating a map of Hawaii but I might also have a map of landmarks in Washington, DC. I do not want my locations in Hawaii to be on my map about Washington, DC.
Example of an Annotated Google Map
Below I have embedded my annotated Google Map of Hawaii. You can click on the annotations and read information about each place and see a picture of most of them. You are also able to zoom and switch over from road maps to satellite images and a hybrid of the two. You can easily embed your own Google Map by selecting Link to this Page at the top right hand corner of the page. It may take a minute or two for the left/right scroll at the bottom of the map appear.
Click here to find out how to add pictures to your annotations.
