Tour Builder with Google

Students using Google Tour Builder to create their own European Vacation. #msdsafari @Mr_Yoder @leadlaughlearn pic.twitter.com/scw0rbEW6Y

— Mike Winters (@AHSWinters) January 8, 2016

As you can see from the Tweet above,  I recently had the opportunity to visit Mr. Winter's class. Here they were to plan out an entire European vacation (not related to the movie) with destinations and total cost of the trip. Students did quite a bit of research about locations, airfare, hotels, points of interest, etc.

Interested in what it looks like? Check out this example.

Why Tour Builder

Tour Builder with Google provides a unique map exploration experience where the user can pinpoint specific locations, add detailed information, images, and utilize Google Earth/Streetview images all in a format similar to using a Slides Presentation. It is user-friendly and fun as users can create a learning experience far greater than the traditional report. 

Get Started with Tour Builder

All you need to get started is your Google Account. Just like in Google Slides, all your presentation slides are in a row on the left side of the screen. Each time you add a slide, you type in the next location you want to visit. From there, users can select images, add text, or Youtube videos. When searching for a specific location, users can also choose from an overhead map view or zoom in using Google Streetview. (Depending upon whether or not the Google Streetview car visited the location.)

Here's an overview on how to get started:

Using Google Classroom?

Tour Builder is still in beta. So it is not as intertwined with all things Google as many of their other products. (Google My Maps works perfectly with Google Classroom.) It is still feasible. The key is that the tour creator makes the tour available to view through a link. Then the link can be posted on Google Classroom as part of the assignment. This will allow the teacher to quickly look at the work and assign a grade. 

Classroom Ideas

Please share your classroom ideas for how you envision Tour Builder working in your classroom. I'm interested in the cool classroom projects you try with your students. Leave your ideas in the comments section below this post.