Maps

One thing I did not know about Google maps is that you can search for ANYTHING using the search bar.  I thought you could only search for specific locations, but it turns out you can search for things like "ATMs Knoxville," or "Mexican food Seymour."  I also did not know about the hybrid satellite/map view.  I found that really helpful because sometimes it is hard to understand how the map relates to the landscape. 

I also learned some really interesting educational uses for maps.  You can look at mining in the Appalachian mountains, or see photos connected with specific locations, like the Louvre.  You can use a Google maps Mashup to learn about recent earthquakes in the world.  You can use street view to walk down a street in Thailand or China or South Africa.  You can use it to study tsunamis.  There are literally hundreds of ways to use google maps, most of which I had never thought of!  One thing I found really useful was google earth outreach showcase, which links lots of individualized maps related to different social causes/ nonprofit organizations, etc.  These would be great for a social studies class!