Storymap Tutorial

 Click here to see the Assignment Instructions for your field school. 

Email noasbrown@uvic.ca with any questions about Storymaps and ArcGIS Online!

Storymaps are a great way to display geographic information along with a narrative or any kind of text. They are more visually appealing and digestible than individual maps or other kinds of documents. Complex topics can be presented in an easily digestible manner, which allows technical information to be understood by more people. The mapping functions in the program provide a sense of place and can illustrate spatial relationships much more than static articles containing text and images. The narrative functions provide context to raw geographic data that may be difficult to present through maps alone. They bring maps to life by immersing readers in place-based knowledge.

Storymaps are also valuable for educating people with different learning styles because of the wide range of possible media like maps, images, and audio, as well as the interactive features that engage the reader. They can be used in place of software like Powerpoint for more engaging presentations, or as standalone documents to be shared and published.

Some examples of storymaps that show the range of possiblities:

• " Colquitz River Restoration Project " and " Connectivity on the Saanich Peninsula " were created by groups of UVic students and utilize many of the available content display options, including embedded video.
• " Cocoa Production in the Caribbean ": Noa made this for their directed studies with Sophia Carodenuto last semester.
• ' The lines that shape our cities ": Public Storymap outlining the process of redlining and urban inequality. Contains many of the different media types and interactive blocks available for use.
• " Discover the possibilities with ArcGIS StoryMaps! ": A collection of tutorials and guides created by the Esri Storymaps team. I recommend taking a look, although you probably don't need to read through all of it.
• Check out the  public gallery  for more inspiration.

There are a few different ways to create a map that can be added to your Storymap. The easiest way is through an express map, which allows you to create a map without leaving the Storymap page. You can add points, lines, polygons, and some other simple design elements. If you are just mapping a few points or routes, this is likely all you need. There is no expectation of doing more complex mapping for this course, but if you have GIS experience you may want to try the other options.

If you have made a map in another program, like Google MyMaps, you can insert it by clicking (+), selecting "Embed", and pasting the link to that map. The map below was created by a previous field school.

( https://uvgeog.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html )

Sketch layers

For more complex maps, or maps that you want to be able to share outside of your Storymap, use  ArcGIS Online . This is also where you can organize your files, including the Storymap, into folders. Clicking on the "Map" tab will open a blank map. If you just want to create simple elements, you can create a Sketch layer in the blank map, which has similar features to an express map. The editing window should pop up on the right-hand side, giving you the drawing and symbology options. Save your map frequently to prevent lost work, and give it a recognizable name so you can easily identify it when inserting it into your Storymap. To learn more about sketch layers, check out Esri's tutorial "Create sketch layers".

The map below, showing the route of the field school, was created with a sketch layer. This map has been shared publically so you can add to your Storymap. To add it, click (+), Map, and then go to the "My Organization Tab" and search for "EuropeFieldSchoolMap". If you want to modify it in any way, be sure to save a copy to edit rather than editing the original.

Creating and uploading layers

To create or upload a more complex layer that has an attribute table attached, navigate to the "Content" tab and click the "New item" button. You can upload an existing file (e.g. a shapefile) or create a new feature layer. To define new fields in the attribute table, click on the layer in your content, navigate to the "Data" tab and then the "Fields" tab. Click the "Add" button to define new fields. Once your layer is created, you can open it in a new map and add features. Be sure to save your map. Add it to your Storymap by clicking (+), clicking "Map", and selecting it from the content pane. If you make edits to the map in ArcGIS Online after, it will automatically be updated in your Storymap.

These types of layers are not needed for your projects, but if you have previous GIS experience you may want to explore it.

The easiest way to add a video to your Storymap is to link to a Youtube video. To upload a video to Youtube, click on your channel icon in the top right corner and select "Youtube Studio". Click "Create" and "Upload" to select a file. You can also upload short videos through the Youtube app, which allows you to make edits and add music (similar to TikTok).

If you do not want the video to be found by the general public, you can make the video "unlisted" when you upload it. This means only people with the link can find it, and you can still embed it in your Storymap. When interviewing and filming people, you should ask for their consent to share videos publically.

When you upload a video under 1 minute long, it is automatically uploaded as a short. The default URL for shorts is not compatible with Storymaps. To get a compatible URL, right click the video and select “Copy video address” instead of taking it from the address bar. This should give you a link that does not contain the word “shorts” which can be added to your Storymap.

You can easily embed Youtube videos into your Storymap by clicking the (+), selecting "Video", and pasting the link. The video can be watched directly in the Storymap, or you can open it in another tab.