Google Street View

Kelsey Gros

What is Google Street View?

Google Street View is a feature in Google Maps and Google Earth that allows the viewer to immerse themselves in a panoramic view along many roads of the world. All blue lines represent accessible roads, and all it takes is a few clicks of your mouse to travel to new places! A number of different methods are used to capture these pictures and spheres, including my car, people, and even planes!

Screencast:

May 9, 2018 2:36 PM.webm

How to access and navigate a location on Google Street View:

  1. Open your browser, and go to Google Maps.

Either use the search option in the top left of the screen or drag your mouse on the screen to locate a place you want to explore.

  1. In the bottom right of the screen, locate the Google Street View Pegman, and drag Pegman to wherever you want to explore.
  2. Unclick your mouse to drop Pegman on either a blue line, blue dot, or orange dot.
  3. Using your mouse, explore. Double-clicking allows the viewer to move about the map.
  4. To exit your location, click the "back" arrow in the top left of the screen.

Pros

  • Free to use!
  • Can be downloaded on virtually all devices
  • Easy to navigate and locate places
  • Totally cool!!! The opportunities are endless!

Cons

  • Limited on photo spheres and see inside options
  • Not all streets are viewable


This tool is super useful in the classroom, especially Social Studies classes. When discussing nearly any topic, the class and teacher can search for the city or region related to what they are learning. Exploring these places using Google Street View and Maps allows for better understanding of the topics.

FAQs

Q- Do I have to have a Google account to access Google Street View?

A- No, you just need internet access to be able to access the Google Maps site!

Q- Can I submit my own photo sphere?

A- Yes! You just need to use a 360 degree camera or an app on your IOS device to take the picture. Submit your photos through the Google Maps app, and Google has to approve the sphere.

In Class Activities:

9th Grade- Physical Geography

WG.4.2 Analyze the distinguishing physical characteristics of a given place to determine their impact on human activities

Students will pick a given place in nature (ex. dessert, forrest, Grand Canyon) and analyze how they look within the app using photo spheres or see inside. They will then create a flyer using Google Docs advertising the area as if it was a vacation destination.

11th Grade- World History

WH.6.6 Explain the origins, key individuals, battles, and major events of World War II

While lecturing using an interactive white board, a Google Street View link or virtual tour link will be presented for each place/battle ground that we discuss. Students can take turns coming to the board and exploring the city we are learning about to better understand the location. Afterwards, students will choose their favorite place that we discussed and create a poster including screen shots from their Street View adventures.