To Embed a Google Map:
1.  Decide where you would like to have the map located.

I have decided to place a map on my Google Mapz page under the Create Map section.  This example is being done through Weebly (A free, simple to use website host and editor).

2. Go to Google Maps and zoom in on the extent of desired map.

I have zoomed in on the Washington, DC area.

3. Select Link from the top right hand corner of the page.

This will give you the option to copy the actual page link or embed with html.

4. Copy HTML code from embed window.

Highlight code and right click to copy or Ctrl + C.

5. Paste HTML code into web page editor.

Make sure you are placing this where HTML can be read and not directly as plain text.  To paste, right click in area and choose paste or Ctrl +V.

6. Publish web page

The map is now embedded within my web page with a matter a minutes.  Try it out today!

Related Books

Beginning Google Maps Mashups with Mapplets, KML, and GeoRSS: From Novice to Professional

Google Maps Hacks

For example if you change the scale of the annotation, it will not adjust. You can delete the annotation and recreate it.  However, there is an easier way!

To change the reference scale of map annotation:

1. Right click on the data frame in the Table of Contents.

2. Choose Properties…

3. Go to the Annotation Group tab.

Notice that this is the where annotation is managed when you convert it from labels to be stored in the map.  Annotation that is created manually through the annotation tool is also managed here.

Under this tab you can turn annotation on and off.

4. Highlight the annotation group to be changed.

5. Click Properties…

6. Change the reference scale to the proper setting.

Under properties you can change:

• annotation name
• associated layer
• reference scale
• visibility scale

7. Click OK to confirm changes.

The reference scale has now been updated to the correct scale, and the annotation shows correctly.

Related Books

Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop: Basics of ArcView, Arceditor, and Arcinfo

Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS

Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users

When creating labels through conversion, you are given the option to save the annotation in a geodatabase or the map document. If you will be using the annotation in another map project then use the geodatabase option. Otherwise, saving in the map would be fine. When you convert to annotation, the labels are created at the current scale.

1. Set desired font and layout.

2. Turn on labels.

3. Right click on layer to have labels converted.

4. Set annotation settings.

5. Select storage type and which features to create annotation for.

Notice the reference scale on the top right.  This is the scale at which the annotation will be view correctly.  Learn how to change this in the ArcMap Annotation Properties.

6. Click Convert.

The labels have now been converted to annotation.  You can select the text and change its location along with other properties as well.

One thing to note with annotation  is that if you change the scale, the annotation does not adjust.  You can delete the annotation and recreate  it using the previous steps.  However, there is an easier way by following the steps in the ArcMap Annotation Properties post!  You can also learn how to turn on/off map annotation without having to delete it.

Related Books

Elements of Cartography

Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS

Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users

Google Earth

Google Maps

This mapping software provides more than just directions.  There is the ability to study various regions.  The subjects that can studied are Art History, Climatology, Earth Science, Environmental Science, History, and Physics.

Google Sky

This product is fairly new.  It provide a fascinating view of outer space.  With Google Sky, telescopes are a thing of the past.  You have the ability to study the stars, planets, galaxies, and even mythology.

Google SketchUp

This is a 3D modeling software.  You can model furniture, cars, and buildings.  There is even the capability to place these object spatially in Google Earth.

http://www.google.com/educators/geo.html

Other Google Products

Related Blogs

Geo Greeting – A Fun Way to Introduce Google Maps

iPhone in Education: Google Earth now available on iPhone and iPod Touch!

GIS workshop teaches new technology skills

Geophysics vs. Geography: Divergent Viewpoints on the GeoWeb

Websites

• GIS 4 Kids
• National Geographic Games for Kids
• Maps 4 Kids
• GIS Kids Slideshow
• Kids GIS
• Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map
• KidsGeo
• Geb Geography For Kids

Books

• My Map Book
• My Street (Young Geography Series)
• Where Do I Live?
• Maps and Globes (Reading Rainbow Book)
• There’s a Map on My Lap!: All About Maps (Cat in the Hat’s Lrning Libry)
• Children Map the World: Selections from the Barbara Petchenik Children’s World Map Competition
• Fun with GPS
• Maps and Mapping (Science Kids)
• The Complete Book of Maps & Geography
• Looking at Maps and Globes (Rookie Read-About Geography)
• Maps, Globes, Graphs: Level B
• THE WORLD IS FLAT: NOT! Cool New World Maps for Kids
• RandMcNally Kids’ Road Atlas (Backseat Books)

• My Picture Atlas (Smart Kids)

Games

• Commemorative Quarter Map
• GeoPuzzle Red State – Blue State Political Map
• Scrambled States of America Game Card Game
• Out of the Box Publishing 10 Days in the USA Game
• Interactive Around the World Map
• GeoSafari Talking Globe Jr.
• Talking Odyssey III Interactive Tabletop Globe
• Vtech – Fly & Learn Globe
• USA Talking Puzzle
• Name that Country

You may not realize it, but you have probably used GIS in some sort of fashion already.  For example, we all have used online maps such as MapQuest, GoogleMaps, YahooMaps, and Live Search Maps for directions.  This is GIS in a simple online user application.  However, what we see with these maps are more than just a visual representation of how to get from point A to point B.  Each item that we see can contain even more information hidden beneath the symbol.  You notice that roads and location have a label attached to them, well this data is located in a hidden attribute table that is attached to the symbol.  Both the symbol (location) and the attribute data are located in a GIS.  Some other information behind these directional maps includes: street segment length, speed limit,  and address ranges.  All of that information helps create the final direction map that you requested.

A GIS can do more than just create directional maps based on a user’s input.  It also organizes and analyzes data in an amazing way.  This data is usually stored in some type of database (I’ll discuss the database a little more in-depth in another post).  There can be relationships within the data that develop a mind blowing matrix.  With the way the data is organized, you can query (either by the attribute table or by the spatial location) and manipulate it to create amazing visualizations and reports.

Although some of the terms and processes mentioned may not make sense right now, they will soon sink in as you gain some handson experience.