Create and share stories about our world using Google Tour Builder (Basic)


Tour Builder IMWC 2018

Data Downloads and Resources

Hands-on Activity #1

Create a Tour Builder

1. Go to Google Tour Builder and create a new tour.

2. Find a partner to interview - you will build your partner's tour and they will build yours. Make sure to leave enough time to create both of your tours.

3. Interview your partner and during your interview create a Tour Builder of significant places that are important to your partner (below are sample questions to help you develop your interview script).

4. Add text from your interview. Tell us why each of these places is important.

5. Work together to find photos, YouTube video, and other rich media to add to the tour.

6. Create custom placemarks using the University of Victoria Icon Library or other images (make sure the images are bold and simple because they will be quite small on your map).

7. Now switch roles, and have your partner build a tour of significant places that are important to you.

8. Explore your Tour Builders and think about your script - what might you do differently to get the information you think would be important to create a good Tour Builder?



Developing an interview script


Think about your interview, this will help us lead up to the Direct-to-Digital techniques we will be using tomorrow in the Google Earth Pro session (interview techniques start on page 8 of the guide).

Tour Builder is a tool created to help us visualize stories on the Google Earth platform, but it is a browser-based platform (Google Earth Pro is a downloaded platform that stores your content on your laptop).

Your interview questions should be organized around places; marking the map will be your technique for organizing the material. Take a few minutes to work with your partner to develop a script you will both use.


Here is one possible example of the types of questions you may want to ask:

Family and local culture

  1. Where do your ancestors come from?
  2. Where were your grandparents born?
  3. Where were your parents born?
  4. Where were you and your siblings born?
  5. What place in the world do you identify with as your real home?

What are the nonhuman influences in your life?

  1. What is your favorite place?
  2. Where is your favorite mountain, body of water, etc.?
  3. Where was your favorite place to play (or hide) when you were 5 years old? 10 years old? 15? Today?
  4. Who were the most important animals and plants in your life and where did you encounter them?
  5. Where did you see the most interesting, unusual, or otherwise important, animal or plant you have ever seen?

Beliefs that help shape your thinking

  1. Where are the spots that are important to your beliefs located? (only share what you want to)
  2. Where are the places that are important to you personally? (only share what you want to)



Hands-on Activity #2

View Tour Builder in New Earth Web

1. Open your tour in the New Earth Web and see what it looks like (you have to use Chrome as your browser).

2. Explore Voyager and see if you can find ideas for enhancing your Tour Builder.

interview_question_outline_checklist.pdf