Telling a Story in Story Maps
Story Maps is an online mapping software that offers users multiple different applications to create a story. Although Story Maps is based around maps, these stories can be told without maps by relying solely on visuals and text. Users can also combine their maps, pictures, videos, websites, and text into one story.
The steps below lay out how to first get started using Story Maps:
When creating an account, users have an option to buy a subscription or use the free version of the software. Although the subscription does allow for use of certain apps and more freedom in sharing stories, I would recommend that students use the free version. The free version still allows for beautiful story presentations and the use of maps that will allow students to present their information in an appealing and organized way.
Once you are able to get started on your story, making a map is a good place to start. The maps you create can then be incorporated into any of the applications you choose to work with. Here is a short guide on how to get started creating a map:
Recommendations
Story Maps offers 8 different applications for users to utilize and create presentations with. Each one has different strengths and deciding which to choose can be a daunting task. Below, I wrote short summaries of each application and provided recommendations for which applications I believe would work best with different types of presentations.
Map Tour: Although this application can no doubt create wonderful presentations, users must have an ArcGIS subscription (not the free account that all users have) or have their pictures and/or videos uploaded to Flickr, Picasa, or Youtube. Also, users can upload data from a CSV file (from a program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets) that can be downloaded and filled out from Story Maps. If you have access to these applications, this is a great feature to use. However, there are many other apps provided by Story Maps that are less complicated, where pictures and videos can be added from a URL or from the desktop.
- Would recommend for users who have knowledge of picture apps outside of Story Maps and for more in-depth stories.
- Would not recommend for shorter presentations and/or presentations that are heavy on simple visuals and information.
Map Journal: This app provides users with a template to create a presentation that is very similar to a PowerPoint. However, instead the background being text or a blank screen, a form of media appears behind the information. Backgrounds can be a picture, a video, a map, or a website. The text and information appears in a side panel. Users can choose from having a text focused presentation with a “side panel” where the text shows up on the left side of the presentation in a large white box. The other option, “floating panel,” is a black rectangle that highlights the visuals by taking up less space and being transparent so the visual underneath can still be viewed. Users then add slides where each new one has a “panel” where the text is and the “main stage” where the visual and/or media goes.
- Would recommend for simple presentations that rely on visuals, share simple information, and/or are interactive.
- Would not recommend for projects that need to show multiple visuals at once or are more text driven.
Cascade: This app is my personal favorite. Similar to Map Journal, this one is very visual based. The picture or video takes up the entire screen. But rather than having traditional “slides” like Map Journal or a Powerpoint would, this app allows users and presenters to scroll through their story. The media and text “slides” overlap one another so that the story is told vertically. “Floating” text boxes can be entered on top of the visual or text can be added as its own separate “slide.” In both options for entering text, users can insert additional pictures, links to videos, and links to websites. Another feature in this app is that videos will start to play automatically when a user stops scrolling on the video “slide.” All of these tools plus more assist users in creating a smooth story that will draw an audience in with its amazing visuals.
- Would recommend for stories that rely heavily on visuals and for stories that would flow better without sharp separations between parts of the story.
- Would not recommend for stories that need obvious separations between “slides” or need to show a lot of information through text.
Map Series: Similar to the other apps, visuals are the main focus of each “slide,” which are tabs in this specific application. Users can add tabs for each topic of a story or presentation. Once again, visuals are the main aspect of each tab and text is added in the top left corner underneath the tabs. The visuals can be maps, pictures, videos, or web pages. This application is more simple in appearance than the others, but it provides a very clean and organized presentation where it is easy to navigate through tabs.
- Would recommend for stories that require simple navigation through “slides” (tabs in this specific app) and for stories that require the visual not to be blocked by text in obvious ways.
- Would not recommend for presentations that are told better with smooth transitions.
Crowdsource: This app requires a ArcGIS subscription with publishing privileges.
Shortlist: Similar to Map Series, Shortlist uses tabs for the presentation. However, making this app more in-depth is its ability to have different tabs/slides within each individual tab. Within each tab, locations can be added on the map and have corresponding slides with each one. When one slide is selected, that section of the map is highlighted by the pinpoint becoming larger than the rest. Each tab can contain a picture and text. A downside of this app is that when you go between sections on the map, the inner slides will not show up unless the map is over that area of the map. For example, this map’s “home” area is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When the Loyola tab is clicked on, the inner slides do not appear unless the map is moved to view Chicago, Illinois. See the pictures below.
- Would recommend for stories with a lot of specific information and specific places on a map.
- Would not recommend for stories that focus on visuals other than maps and do not contain much text. Would not recommend for simple stories that do not require a lot of written info.
Swipe/Spyglass: This application is one of the most unique tools that Story Maps has to offer. It is an app used to compare two different maps with two different sets of data. This can either be in the format of two maps or two different layers of one map. Not only does it offer users that option, but users can also choose to use the swipe or spyglass tool for their map. The swipe tool allows users and viewers to move the dividing line to see different sections of each map or layer simultaneously (pictures below). The spy glass tool allows users and viewers to essentially put a spy glass (a circle) over one area of the map and have it show a different map or layer within that circle (pictures below). In the text section of this app, users can put information about the map and a legend explaining what different symbols or colors mean within the map.
- Would recommend for a story or presentation that compares two different maps. This could be based on time periods or different comparative statistics.
- Would not recommend for a story or presentation that needs many visuals or needs to show more than two maps.
Basic: This application is simply one map. This is how all maps are created through Story Maps whether it is one simple map or a map that is used in another application. Instructions and recommendations for this will be in the “How to Make a Map” post.
