Google for teachers

Google for Teachers...
Books, Docs, Maps, and more.
A Free Guide from Free Technology for Teachers.

Richard Byrne Freetech4teachers.com

Search Tools Google Books Google News Widgets Google Docs Creating Quizzes in Google Maps
Google Docs
An overview of How to access How to put Nine uses of Six ways to use
Step by step Google Maps
Google’s lesser- Google Books custom Google Google Docs
directions for beyond the Social
known search advanced search. News on your beyond word
creating a quiz Studies classroom.
tools. Google How to embed blog or website. processing and
and posting it Directions for
Books, Google books into your Page 8 presentations.
online using creating
Scholar, Google blog or website. Pages 9-11
placemarks in
Pages 4-6 Google Docs
News. Google Maps.
Pages 2 - 3 Forms. Pages 25 - 32
Pages 12- 17

About this Guide
Google offers dozens of free This guide presents uses for
resources that teachers and Google Books, Google Docs Forms
students can use to improve their and Spreadsheets, and Google
learning experiences. This guide is Maps.
intended for teachers who would
like to know more about Google Step by step directions are
Search, Google Docs, and Google provided for embedding Google
Maps. So you know about Google, but do Books, creating and embedding
you know how to post a quiz online, quizzes made with Google Docs
This guide begins with an create map placemarks containing Forms, customizing and
overview of advanced Google videos, or how to ﬁnd free full-length embedding Google News widgets,
Search tools that can improve books?
and creating placemarks in Google
Internet search experiences. Maps.

freetech4teachers.com
1

F R E E T E C H 4 T E A C H E R S . C O M

Google Search Tools
Google Search Tools
Google is best known as an Internet search engine. Here are some search tools
Googlestudents should use to improve their Internet search experiences.
your is best known as an Internet search engine.

Here are some tools to help students improve their
Internet search experiences.

Related Search Wonder Wheel Timeline
Related search is probably the Wonder Wheel is not as easy to Google’s Timeline option allows
most obvious search altering find as the “related search” option users to refine their searches by
option offered by Google, but on Google. To locate Wonder the dates referenced in the online
because the related search terms Wheel, click the “more options” materials. Timeline displays a
are usually buried at the bottom of link that appears at the top of any chart on which users can click to
the page, students often don’t click list of Google results. Wonder find materials referencing a
on the options. Wheel is then found in the list on particular date or range of dates.
the left side of the page.
A lot of students when given an Timeline is particularly useful for
open-ended research assignment Wonder Wheel takes the concept history students.
struggle to pick the right terms to of web and applies it to search
enter into a search. Often once refinement. Enter any search term
they’ve entered a set of terms, in Wonder Wheel and that term Timeline also offers an option for
they’re unhappy with the results. will appear in the center of the refining search results by the date
Direct them to try the related web. Each branch of the web on which something was posted
search terms that are contains a related search term. online. Users can specify that they
automatically generated by Click one of those terms and a new want results only from the last day,
Google. web will be generated and linked week, month, year, or they can
to the original web. It’s a good way specify a particular date or range
A small tweak in the choice of for student to learn about of dates. Click the “show options”
search terms, particularly a tweet connections between terms. link after entering your search
of operator words, can yield terms, to find this option.
significantly different results. Each You can see a video of Wonder
time students tweaks their search Wheel in action by clicking here.
terms, new related search terms Or visit http://freetech4teachers.com/
2009/05/google-wonder-wheel-in-
appear. action.html

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Freetech4teachers.com


Google Search Tools
Explore books, scholarly works, and newspaper
archives with these Google search tools.

Google Books Google Scholar Google News
In Google Books Advanced Search Google Scholar is designed to help Google News search allows
you can search for full-length students research works from students to scour the web for news
books that are in the public scholarly journals, patent stories from Google’s trusted
domain and available for free applications, and legal opinions. sources. Students can refine
download and printing. Those
Google Scholar allows you to read searches by date to look at current
same books can also be embedded
full text legal opinions from US stories (default setting) or to look
into your blog or website. To find
federal and state district courts, back at news stories from years
full-length, public domain books,
appellate courts, and the Supreme ago. Students can also refine their
go to books.google.com then select
Court. You can search for opinions searches by specifying a particular
public domain in the advanced
by case name (like Miranda v. news source and or a particular
search options menu.
Arizona) or by topic (like school author.
In the past I’ve given my US busing). Google News Fast Flip presents
History students an assignment in
Google Scholar's addition of legal news stories in a visually-
which they have to read and
opinions could be very useful for appealing magazine rack-style.
analyze a book about about the
teachers and students of US civics. Students can click through the
Civil War. As I have more students
Google Scholar could help schools covers to find a news story.
than our school's library has books
reduce or eliminate the need to The Google News wizard makes it
about the Civil War, the huge
purchase updated legal opinion easy to customize the look and the
listing of books about the Civil
books every few years. content displayed on your blog.
War that are in the public domain
is very handy for my students. Find Google Scholar at Once you have selected the news
content you want displayed and
http://scholar.google.com the size of the display, simply copy
the code generated for you and
paste it into your blog.

3


Accessing Google Books
Advanced Search
The advanced search menu allows users to reﬁne searches to show only public
domain works, only full text works, or only books of a particular genre. Users
can also build a virtual bookshelf of their favorite works.

4


How to Embed Google Books Into
Your Blog or Website.
Note, this method does not work for blogs hosted on WordPress.com but can
work for Edublogs blogs and WordPress self-hosted blogs.

Step 1.

Step 2

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5


Create a Virtual Bookshelf in
Google Books.

6


Google Advanced Search
Take advantage of Google’s built-in search reﬁnement tools to improve
your Internet search experience.

7


Google News Widgets
Use the Google News Widget to display top news stories on your blog
or website. Find the widget at
http://code.google.com/apis/ajaxsearch/documentation/newsshow/wizard.html

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Google Docs
There is more to Google Docs than word processing, presentations, and
spreadsheets.
Here are some other things teachers and students can do with
Google Docs.

Word Cloud Gadget Reading Levels Flashcards & Word Games
One of the lesser known elements of If you select the word count option The Google Docs Templates
Google Docs is spreadsheet gadgets. in the Google Docs tools menu gallery contains three templates
Gadgets are designed to take data
you will find three indicators of allow you to create flashcards,
from your spreadsheets and use it or
the reading level of the document word searches, and a word study
display it in non-spreadsheet forms.
you're creating. Google Docs will game.
The Word Cloud Gadget takes the calculate for you the Flesch
If you've been looking for just the
words (and numbers if you Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid
right flashcard program or the
choose) in your spreadsheet and Grade Level, and the Automatic
right word search generator, but
generates a word cloud. You can Readability Index.
haven't found it, these templates
customize the Word Cloud Gadget
might be what you need. One clear
to use the words from all of your
advantage of using these
cells or you can specify to draw The Google Docs reading level
templates over a commercial
upon specific cells. You can also indicators could be useful in
program is that you won't be
customize the Word Cloud Gadget selecting Internet articles for
exposing your students to any
to link words in the cloud to a students to read. Paste an article
advertising on your word search
search engine. To add further into Google Docs to quickly
or flashcards.
utility, you can adjust the Word determine the reading level.
Cloud Gadget to ignore certain
words when generating your word
cloud.

9


Google Docs
spreadsheets.
Google Docs.

Thesaurus & Dictionary Bibliography Templates Translation

Google Docs contains an integrated Google Docs has templates for Google’s translation tool is
thesaurus, dictionary, and creating bibliographies in APA, integrated into Google Docs. You
encyclopedia tool. It is a simple tool MLA, AMA, and Chicago Style. can translate any document in
to use. Simply highlight a word in
You can find these templates in the Google Docs into your choice of
your document then select "look up
Google Docs Template Gallery. fifty-one different languages. To
word" from the "tools" drop-down
menu. From there you can find a use the translation feature, just
The Google Docs bibliography
synonym, a definition, or an select the "translate" option under
templates could be very useful for
Encyclopedia Britannica reference to the "tools" drop-down menu.
any student that needs to create a
your selected word. Also worth
noting is an image search tool bibliography. Google Docs translation tool
integrated into Google Docs. Just like obviously could be used in a
using the thesaurus tool, simply foreign language class. It could
highlight a word in your document also be useful if you have students
then select "search for images" from that live in homes where English is
the "tools" menu. Suggested
not the primary language. If you
synonyms and definitions appear in a
need to send a letter home, you
pop-up window that floats over the
document you're working on. can easily print it out in multiple
languages.

10


Google Docs
spreadsheets.
Google Docs.

Equations & Subscripts Clipboard Quizzes and Surveys

Google Docs contains an equation The Google Docs clipboard allows Google Docs Forms allows
editor for mathematics teachers you to copy content from a teachers to create a quiz and post
and students. Google Docs also spreadsheet and paste it to a it online. All of answers submitted
offers a subscript and superscript document or presentation. by students appear in an easy-to-
tool that can be used in writing Likewise, you can copy from a grade spreadsheet.
chemical compounds and document and paste to a
Along the same lines of creating a
mathematics equations. presentation or a spreadsheet cell.
quiz using Google Docs Forms,
The equation editor, subscript, and The most important element of the teachers and students can create
superscript tools make it possible Google Docs clipboard is that you surveys in Google Docs. Surveys
for math and science teachers and can save multiple selections to can be embedded into a blog or
their students to use Google Docs your clipboard and access them at website. All responses will appear
for more of their document any time from any internet- in a spreadsheet. After all
creations. With these three tools connected computer. responses are collected users can
online collaborative document choose from a variety of
The Google Docs clipboard option
creation isn't limited to the summation tools built into Google
could be useful for editing the
humanities. Science and Docs Spreadsheets. The
sequence of an outline or essay.
mathematics students can also summation tools will create
Students can copy many elements
collaborate to solve equations. graphs of the survey responses.
to their clipboards and paste them
onto a blank canvas in the order
they want.
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How to Create and Publish a Quiz
Using Google Docs.
The directions for embedding quizzes into a blog works for Blogger and
Edublogs blogs.

1. Make sure the first question is "student name." Otherwise you won't know who submitted which
answers.
2. You can mix question types (multiple choice, short answer, paragraph) but if you have too many types
and too many students, the spreadsheet can become difficult to navigate.
3. When embedding the form into a blog, make sure you edit the width to fit within your blog's main
column.

Step One

12


Using Google Docs.
Edublogs blogs.

Step Two

13


Using Google Docs.
Edublogs blogs.

Step Three

14


Using Google Docs.
Edublogs blogs.

Step Four

15


Using Google Docs.
Edublogs blogs.

16


Using Google Docs.
Edublogs blogs.

17


Google Docs Translation

18


Google Docs Thesaurus

19


Reading Levels in
Google Docs
Select Word Count from the Tools Menu to access
this information.

20


Google Word Cloud Gadget

21



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Google Maps
Google Maps can be used for more than just Social
Studies lessons.

Math Maps Placeopedia Climate Change Data
Math Maps are Google Maps on Placeopedia is a website that Geo.me Solutions has created a
which Tom Barrett and others provides additional context for fairly in-depth mapped display of
have created placemarks which Wikipedia entries through Google global climate data. The map is a
when clicked reveal mathematics Maps. Placeopedia connects Google Map containing
questions for students to answer Wikipedia articles with their placemarks that when opened
based on the maps. There are locations. Click on any placemark reveal current weather data as well
questions available for every on Placeopedia's map and you will as historical weather data. In some
elementary school grade level. The be linked to a Wikipedia article cases there is data dating back
placemarks are color-coded to about that place. three hundred years. The data is
indicate the level of the questions. recorded from more than 1,500
Placeopedia can be a good tool for
Blue = Kindergarten, Red = 1st weather stations around the globe.
students to use to do some quick,
grade, Green = 2nd grade, Light You can browse through the data
general research about a city, state,
Blue = 3rd grade, Yellow = 4th sets by clicking on placemarks on
or country. Placeopedia is also
grade, Purple = 5th grade. Visit the map or you can enter a search
useful for providing geographical
Tom Barrett's Math Maps page to for a speciﬁc location.
context for other Wikipedia
view the existing Math Maps and
articles that references locations. Explore this Google Maps mash-
read about how to contribute to
up at http://www.geo.me/
the existing Math Maps. Visit Placeopedia at

Learn more about math maps here http://placeopeida.com
http://edte.ch/blog/maths-
maps/

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Google Maps
Google Maps can be used for more than just Social
Studies lessons.

Paint Map Literary Maps Plan a Bike Route

Paint Map is part search engine, Google Lit Trips provides dozens Google Maps provides directions
part artwork sharing, and part of examples of using Google Earth for traveling by bicycle in more
Google Map. The way Paint Map to map out stories. You can use the than 150 US cities. When you enter
works is artists submit images of same concept to create literary a pair of addresses you can choose
their paintings, write a description maps in Google Maps. Have to get directions for traveling by
of the where the painting was students choose their favorite automobile or bicycle. Don't have
made, and then plot that location stories, identify the locations any particular addresses in mind
on a Google Map. Paint Map offers mentioned in the stories, and then that you want to ride to? Google
a commenting system through create placemarks on a Google Maps offers suggested bicycle
which visitors and artists can Map. The students’ placemarks riding routes which you can ﬁnd
interact. There is a search bar on can include text, images, and by selecting "bicycle" in your
Paint Map's homepage that videos. Google Maps menu.
visitors can use to search through
On a similar note, you could have Google Maps can be used by
the nearly 500 paintings on Paint
students create a story from physical education teachers and or
Map.
scratch and map it out on a Google health teachers to have students
Paint Map provides students with Map. plan safe routes for bicycle rides.
a global context of the paintings To take the assignment a step
For more ideas about creating
they view. farther you could have students
literary maps visit:
plan a route, measure the distance,
Find Paint Map at
http://www.googlelittrips.com and calculate how many calories a
http://paintmap.com person could burn on that route.
There are numerous calorie
calculators on the web that you
could use for that second step.

26


How to Create and Save
Placemarks in Google Maps

Step 1 - Create a Google Account if you don’t
already have one.

27



Step 2 - Select My Maps

28



Steps 3 & 4 - Select Create New Map then title map.

29



Step 5 - Find location and select placemark icon.

30



Step 6 - Edit text and images in placemark

Step 7 - Inserting videos from YouTube

31



Step 8 - Click OK after editing placemarks. Click save, then done.
Videos won’t display until “Done” has been clicked.

Step 9 - Click Edit to add more placemarks or edit/remove old
placemarks.

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For more information and more tutorials (including videos)
please visit FreeTech4Teachers.com and select
“Google Tools Tutorials” from the top menu.

Reuse of this guide - You may print and use this guide for
professional development provided that you do not charge
participants for the guide. You may publish this guide on your blog/
website with proper attribution and provided you do not charge
visitors access the guide.

About the Author
Richard Byrne is a social studies teacher at a
Western Maine High School. When not
teaching Richard writes the award-winning
blog Free Technology for Teachers.

Richard is a Google Certiﬁed Teacher
available for speaking and conducting
workshops at your school or conference.

To see a list of places where Richard has
presented in the past, please visit:

http://www.visualcv.com/richardmbyrne

Contact Richard:

richardbyrne (at) freetech4teachers.com

Twitter - rmbyrne

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