Tech Tip Tuesday: Build with Chrome

Build with Chrome

Did you know Google offers an application called, Build with Chrome, where you can build LEGO bricks using Google Maps as your base template?

There are three modes, Explore all Builds, Build Academy, and Start Build.

Explore All Builds

• Allows you to explore buildings, even 2D structures, vehicles, characters, and random objects on a Google Map.
• Each object is categorized.
• You are able to zoom in/out of the map.
• You can search by the most popular structures, your own structures, and publish them to Google Plus.

Build Academy

• Allows you to master your building skills by completing challenges.
• Provides practice and training to build structures in various locations.
• Will provide you with different tips and tricks to use for your structure

Start Build

• Allows you to be a build a structure using your own creativity and imagination.
• Allows you to publish your structure to a Google Map using your account.

This application will allow you to:

• select different color LEGO pieces
• select a variety of LEGO pieces to include in your structure
• rotate the piece
• zoom in/out of the structure
• rotate and display your structure in 3D on a Google Map
• easy to add and remove LEGO pieces from your structure

Here is the information about my structure:

• displays a picture of the structure
• displays the type of structure
• date created
• address
• provides me with a link
• can +1 it
• Visit my structure at https://www.buildwithchrome.com/build/UaDTPgAQA

Students can:

• apply critical thinking and problem solving skills
• can easily adapt
• use their imagination and creativity to produce a structure, town, or city
• contribute to building a community with other users
• collaborate and share their communities
• publish their structure to a Google map using their Google account
• apply mathematical, architecture, engineering skills

Classroom Ideas:

• create an eco-friendly, “green” community
• narrate a tutorial on building a structure using the application
• recreate a historical  landmark
• sort pieces to reinforce mathematical skills

Creating Concept Maps using Google Drawings

Sixth grade students in Mrs. Conrad's science class at the William Davies Middle School are using Google Apps for Education and were assigned to create a food chain/web for their class.  Basically, they needed to create a graphic organizer or a concept map of their ecosystem.  

At first, I looked into an app called MindMap.  I found this application to be a bit cumbersome and I did not recommend using it for this assignment.  The next app I looked into was LucidChart, which is a great tool and I used it before, but again, not for this assignment.  The last app I looked into was Google Drawings.

I created a food chain/web template for them using Google Drawings.  The students already researched their information and saved it in a Google Document.  A few tasks they had to do was insert the images, text and shapes into the template. The were able to successfully navigate the application, however, we did have an issue with the size of the canvas. We found that you were not able to adjust the size of the canvas, or go to another 'page' in the drawings.  The students noticed a shaded area at the bottom right corner of the canvas, which can be adjusted by dragging, but it was limited and did not make a significant difference on the size of the canvas.  

The students were able to showcase the following technology skills:

• Make a copy of the template
• Insert/Edit Word Art
• Insert/Edit Text Boxes
• Insert/Delete Images
• Insert Shapes and Lines
• Troubleshoot the canvas size

Here is a picture of a sample of a food chain/web in progress.

Here is a picture of a completed food chain.