The Haikus on Google Maps project was inspired by a post Ann S. Michaelsen shared, featuring a Google Maps presentation created by Richard Byrne.

Click on the tabs to see students’ haikus and field trip pictures. Students took the pictures while on a city-wide field trip we call the Walkabout.

Planning the Trip

The project begins with the field trip. In short, students research about the city, learn the geography of the city, plan their travel using public transportation, create detailed itineraries, and make a budget. Specifics of the research process is posted on 1:1 schools.

While on the trip, students stop to write for at least 20 minutes in three locations. My colleagues and I ask that students draft a haiku in at least one of the locations. They also take pictures in each of the locations.

Teaching Haiku

Many of us learned haiku as a nature poem with a set number of syllables on each of three lines (5 – 7 – 5). In fact, haikus need not be that rigid. Below are some slides that can be used for haiku mini-lessons.

Credit for slides goes to my teaching partner, Jesse Meyer.

Attaching Haikus to Google Maps

See slides #13-20 on Richard Byrne’s Google Presentation:

Attaching Photos to Google Maps

As stated in the slides, images must be linked as URLs. At first, we had students put photographs on their Google sites and then link to their Google site photo page.

When I tested the photos, they didn’t work. I realized that photos were posted on pages that were behind the Great School Firewall. To work around this problem, students added photos to a Picasaweb site that was open to the public.

The next problem was linking the correct URL. Below is a video that shows the URL you do not want as well as the one you do want to use.

Other Ideas

A Google Map collaboration project can be set up so that students can share their summer vacation destinations.

Collaboration could also be done with other schools, coinciding with a Flat Classroom project.

For what other projects could Google Maps be used? 

This post is backlinked to The Organized Classroom Blog.

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