Thing #19

I took a look at Google Maps at maps.google.com. This is a really useful tool. Not only does it show a street map of a place but it also shows a satellite image. One can use it simply to see someplace or even get written directions to and from there but a really neat thing it does is identify places of business or other importance. If I wanted to find the nearest McDonald’s. I just put input McDonald’s and it plops down icons that identify locations within that map. I could see them on a complete city map or just by zip code. I can drag the map around instead of clicking the edge of the map for faster panning. If I need to see familiar landmarks, I can switch to satellite mode. A Social Studies class can use it to find famous places an landmarks such as the Washington Monument by inputting the name and it just moves over to that location. A student then could zoom in and take a picture of the monument from the air.