StoryMap JS is a tool that I've been using and recommending for many years. It's a free tool that students can use to create a story map in a manner similar to Google's My Maps or the old Google Tour Builder. The difference between those tools and StoryMap JS is that StoryMap JS is much easier for new users to master.
StoryMap JS enables students to tell stories through a series of slides that appear on a map. Each slide is matched to locations that you choose on your map. Each slide in your story can include images, text, and hyperlinks.
In this short video I demonstrate how to create a story map with StoryMap JS.
Applications for Education StoryMap JS is a great tool for students to use to map a series of events or a series of thematically connected places. In the video above I gave the example of mapping a series of roadside attractions. Some other ideas for story maps that you could have your students create include biographies, natural landmarks, notable buildings, and cultural centers.
Like many teachers, I was disappointed when Google deprecated Tour Builder and Tour Creator last year. Since then in my webinar series with Rushton Hurley and on social media I've answered a lot of questions from teachers about alternatives to Tour Builder. StoryMap JS is one of the tools that I've been suggesting when asked for Tour Builder alternatives. That's why earlier this week when I got a Twitter DM from a teacher in Texas who was looking for a Tour Builder alternative I decided to create a new tutorial video about using StoryMap JS.
In this tutorial video I demonstrate how you can use StoryMap JS as an alternative to Tour Builder. In the tutorial I include directions for incorporating Google Street View imagery into your mapped stories built with StoryMap JS.
Applications for Education Building a storymap with Storymap JS provides a good way for students to make connections between historical events and their locations. For example, in the storymap I made in the video above I included a reference to the New York Yankees losing the 2004 American League championship to the Boston Red Sox in an unprecedented and historic fashion.
