Google Maps: This app is powered by Google and is meant for the user to gain easy access to directions to and from certain places and how long it takes to get from point A to point B. Google Maps is used for everything mapping! It offers satellite imagery, street maps, 360° panoramic views of streets, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle, or public transportation!

Step by Step: How to get to Nicholls State University

2. Type in the search box the name, address or postcode of the place you’re looking for. (Nicholls State University OR 906 East 1st St, Thibodaux LA 70301). Click on the icon of the magnifying glass to search or choose from the autocomplete suggestions if the place is listed.

3. Google will then present you with a list of places with this name (if there are more than one) and a map with a place marker (a teardrop-shaped icon containing a letter) to show its location. You can have it either in “road map” view or in Satellite view, depending upon your preference. (Click on Satellite to change the view).

4. Having found the place on the map, you can also ask Google for directions for either driving or walking there. Click Directions.

5. If you want walking directions – for instance, from a tube or railway station to your location – click on the image of the walking person. If you want to go by car or public transport, click the corresponding icon.

6. You will now be asked to give your starting point in box A. (Box B will already be filled in with your destination you searched for). You can either type in the name of your starting point and click in search or you can click on the map and choose your starting point.

7. Google will give you several possible routes in the left-hand column and possible routes on the map. When you choose one on the left, the suggested route will be shown as a blue dotted line from point A to point B. You can change the route to make a detour by dragging the blue line to redefine the way.

8.You can use the zoom toolbar on the left-hand side of the map window to get a closer view of the map of the area that you’re going to visit. You can either click the plus (+) and minus (–) symbols at the top and bottom of the toolbar on the right to get to the view you want, or you can grab the little ‘handle’ in the middle of the toolbar and drag it up or down.

9. The circle at the top of the toolbar can also be used to navigate the map. You can also have a street view of the map to see landmarks etc to plan your route. Click and drag the icon of a little man onto the map and then choose Street View to change to street view. Click back in the small square showing the map view to go back to the map.

10. DONE!

Step 2: Type in Nicholls or the address of Nicholls

Step 3: You can have it on map view or satellite view

Step 4: If you want specific directions then you have to click on the button on the corner of the screen with the arrow!

Step 4/5: Once you have a specific place in mind that you want to go to. At the top you can choose times of travel based on car, train/transit, walking, biking, or flying. Each time has a different amount of time it takes you to get there.

Helpful Videos for:

Google Maps is an app that allows us to get directions from point A to point B. Check out this beginners guide to help guide you in your traveling journeys for years to come! Regardless if you are planning to drive, walk, bike, take a bus, etc., Google Maps has the directions and timing you need!

Google Maps allows the individual user not only to be able to navigate on the web, but to also navigate offline. This is accomplished when the user downloads the map they are wanting to use again in the future. The map remains downloaded for thirty days. After the thirty day period, it expires, but it can be downloaded again.

Google Maps offers a really cool feature called street view. When in street view, the user can look at images that provide a 360° view of the surrounding area. This is a really great resource to use if you want to take a virtual field trip!

PHOTOSPHERE:

Over the years Google Maps has made many improvements to its site so that viewers can get a real world perspective of the places they are going! Photosphere gives the viewer the opportunity to take regular map directions or a place in the world and turn it into 3D!

Photosphere: If someone were to decide that they wanted to see the Statue of Liberty since they have never been able to see this historic monument in person they would be able to see a real life photo with the Photosphere option. If I use the directions above find Liberty Island then

See Inside:

The See Inside portion of Google Maps deals with letting the viewer see what is exactly inside the building. In these situations the best way to affectively use this part of Google Maps would be to look inside malls, airports, and other buildings with several buisnesses and levels.

In the Mall of Louisiana the blue highlight portion is the 1st floor of the mall! You can visit shops like the Pottery Barn and Build-A-Bear Workshop! Without the See Inside feature that allows you to click on the level of the mall you want to be on, we wouldn't be able to know exactly how to get to our favorite stores quicker!

This is the 2nd floor of the Mall of Louisiana. As you can see, the high-lighted blue portion has changed from the pervious picture. This is because there are completely different shops on the second floor versus the first floor.

Screencast Step-by-Step Directions:

Click on the square icon on the upper left corner of the video clip to view step-by-step directions on how to get to Nicholls State University.

May 8, 2018 10:32 AM.webm

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOOGLE MAPS?

It is important to have Google Maps because it is one of the many resources that we are able to use that helps us easily get directions! Without websites/apps like Google Maps we would have to use an old-school road map, use public transportation signs or use word of mouth to get from point A to point B. Having Google Maps is one of the biggest steps in innovation that affects how we live our everyday lives. Without knowing how to back home or how to get to and from school it would take us a lot longer to figure out how to get there! Google Maps is just a touch of a button away from us getting to our final destination a lot faster!

Benefits and additional info:

Benefits: We are able to see famous locations and places in a touch of a button. Without this app, getting to see these places would only be possible if we we're physically there! (which would get a little expensive). Also, for example, let's say we were going visit someone and they gave us their address. We didn't know who they were but just where they lived. With this app, we would be able to locate where they live and be able to use Photosphere to see the surroundings and if it's safe to go there!

Additional Info: The app is FREE, The website is FREE to use. We can print our directions, we can know exactly how to get from point A to point B with several different routes and ways to get there!

Classroom Activities:

Activity One: Latitude and Longitude (6th Grade)

In grade 6, students are required to plot coordinates of latitude and longitude to determine location or change of location (6.3.2). Why not relate it to everyday life with technology? With Google maps, you can type in any location. When you right click on the location, select the What's Here? option on the drop down menu. This will provide a small box that states the location, latitude and longitude!

Have students pair up with another student. Each pair will be assigned to a computer with five different locations. Have the students search for the location, right click, select What's Here? from the drop down menu, and write the latitude and longitude of the specific area. At the end of the class, have the students say their latitude and longitude. The teacher will type them into Google Maps to display the findings on the interactive white board. The teacher will explain the specific location given is attached to the latitude and longitude.

Activity Two: Virtual Field Trip (2nd Grade)

In grade 2, students are required to be able to locate and identify the poles, equator, continents, oceans, the United States, Louisiana, and the local community (2.2.1). Google Maps could be the answer to this Louisiana Student Standard!

Throughout teaching this unit, it would be great to have virtual field trips to these areas. For example, explain the North Pole and South Pole are located at the top and bottom of the Earth and we show a globe. We can then pull up Google Maps and display it on the interactive white board. Call students to come and find the given areas! It will get harder and more challenging as they must find the specific oceans and continents. You can then limit it just to North America and have them find the United States, Louisiana, and the community in which their school is in. Take it a step further and put your school on street view! The students will love it.

FAQs:

Q: Why can't I see satellite view?

A: In order to see in satellite view, you must enable it by clicking on the small square in the left hand corner that says satellite.

Q: What if I need to get to work ASAP because I am late for a meeting?

A: Don't worry! Google Maps allows you to see traffic areas! To find the places you should avoid, click on the menu button. From the drop down menu, select traffic. You will see roads in four colors: green, orange, red, and maroon. Green is the fastest traffic while maroon in the slowest.

Q: I can't use technology. I want a paper map from Google. What do I do?

A: Once finding the map and route you want to take, click on the menu button. From here, select print. Congrats! You have a paper Google map!

Pros and Cons:

Pros: satellite imagery, street maps, 360° panoramic views, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle, or public transportation