Using Google Forms with My Maps for Data Collection and Mapping

Forms and Sheets are a great way to collect data or information that you may want to visualize or display on a map. This works extremely well for large sets of information or markers you’d like displayed. For example, in chapter 1 we share about the educator having their students collect data and observations about a tree throughout the school year. The students can decide which tree they’ll follow and complete a form to share its location. The form has to have a question that asks for a location for this work. A location can be in the form of a an address, latitude & longitude, or a place name.

Once the  form is completed, generate the spreadsheet of responses.

Now the questions in the form become columns in the spreadsheet, and should be the first row (make sure to leave them in the first row)

Now head to My Maps, open a map and add a new layer. Select the Import option. This will allow the map to read the information on the spreadsheet and import the data onto the map in the form of markers. 

Navigate to the Drive option and either search for your spreadsheet or use recent to find the sheet if you’ve opened it recently.

Select the sheet and watch My Maps “automagically” pull your information from the sheet and place it on the map. In this process you’ll need to select which column to use to place the markers (that’s your location question), and then which option to style/organize the markers. Once selected, the markers will appear in that layer and on the My Map!