• Google Earth Tour Builder allows students to create Google Earth tours in their web browsers. The Tour Builder uses a slide-like format for creating tours. Each slide or stop in the tour can have a date or range of dates attached to it. The tour plays in same sequence as that students build stops in their tours. Have students create the stops in the tour chronologically to tell a timeline story. How to video

• Animaps is a free service built for the purpose of allowing users to create animated Google Maps. The basics of creating maps in Animaps is very similar the process for creating maps in Google Maps. The main benefit of using Animaps over Google Maps is that you can create a tour of your placemarks that plays through according to the timing that you specify. Another benefit is that you can build in colored shapes to expand and contract to demonstrate patterns.

• Odyssey.js is an open source map creation tool. Through Odyssey.js you can create mapped stories in three formats; slide, scroll, and torque. In all three formats viewers will see a location on a map along with the text and pictures of your story. The slide and scroll formats are fairly straight-forward, you click through slides or scroll through a story. The torque format allows you to connect elements of your map to a timeline.

• StoryMap JS is a nice tool for creating mapped stories. On StoryMap JS you create slides that are matched to locations on your map. Each slide in your story can include images or videos along with text. As you scroll through your story there are simple transitions between each slide.

• Earthtools: Find precise location data, sunrise and sunset times, height, contours, and distances all without registration.

• MapMaker International from National Geographic: Overlay a number of different themes from water, land, and climate to population, political, and economic systems. Draw on the map and place a variety of different markers as well as use a measuring tool in kilometres or miles. Save as an XML or PNG file. Share with others via link. Works with tablets.

• National Atlas Map Maker: Create, save, and print US based maps using a number of layers including geographic, political, and historical.

• Hypercities: Overlay historical maps over current satellite views of a number of places around the world.

• Flash Earth: View Bing and Yahoo maps on one site. Zoom and rotate.

• Map Generator: Create a simple Google map with one marker and text that you can share or embed without needing to register.

• Esri: Add a data overlay to a map based on US data such as age, income, and population. Embed or share a custom URL with comments.

• Aardvark Map: Create custom Google maps that can be embedded or shared without registration. Add multiple points or add custom overlay sets.

• Scribble Maps: Draw on a Google Map and add markers, images, video, audio, and text as well. Save as an image, get a link, or embed. Even add a custom style to your map.

• ZeeMaps: Create a custom Google map with markers, images, movies, and more. Share your custom map for free.

• Indiemapper: Create vector, shape based, or custom maps based on your own data. Change projection types and export as an image.

• OpenStreetMap: Created using data from users, OpenStreetMap is an alternative to Google maps where users can download images or data.

• Quikmaps: Draw lines, scribble, and add markers with comments on a Google map without registration. Share the link or embed in your blog or website.

• Dual Maps: Combine Google maps, Streetview, and Bing maps as one map. Add Wikipedia and Panoramio layers as well. Embed on your website or blog.

• TravBuddy: Show a map with all the places you have visited in the world. Embed the map on your website or blog.

• Roadtrip America: Create a road trip route with markers of things to do and see along the way. You are unable to save or print the map without registering, but you can always create a screenshot of the map to download.

• MapFab: Draw, add markers and links, and share or embed a Google map without registering.

• MapFling: Search for a place and add markers and then share with others using a URL.

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Updated November 9, 2017