Step into Story Maps

Bring your investigation to life

This is a Story Map

It might not be obvious from the name, but you don't need to be working on a mapping project to use a Story Map! Anything can be communicated this way - the emphasis is the Story, not the Map. Of course, if you do want maps then there is lots you can do with them.

This particular example is a slightly random collection of content just to show you what sort of things you can combine into a Story Map. It was very quick to put together and makes a nice change from a Powerpoint poster. There is a video on Echo360 showing the key actions of adding and formatting content in your own Story Map, and a handout on Blackboard with further points about the assessment for ENV-4004Y.

You can add text, images, maps, videos, links and other items to tell the story of your field learning group project for ENV-4004Y. It's good to know in advance what kind of content you can include, so you remember to record the right kind of information during your project.


Elements of a Story Map

Let's begin with text

Text is straightforward. Type it in, select sections of text on screen and you can change the formatting or turn it into a  link . The Design link at the top of the page has some overall themes to choose from (font, background colour, etc.) which will apply to the Story Map as a whole.

There are pre-set text formats - this one is Quote which could be useful for key text like a research question or main conclusion.

  • Bulleted lists can be useful
  • But don't use them
  • Where a paragraph would be
  • More
  • Appropriate

So, text is one element. What else can you include?

Moving on to maps

The map below is interactive for the reader (try it!) and was created as an "express map". With an express map you can find your location, just click to add a point, optionally add lines, shapes, text and other items, and choose a basemap. Great for simple sketch-type maps.

Figure 1. Location for the investigation

If you have used Collector to gather data, then a map made in ArcGIS Online can also be embedded, and is interactive. Remember this one?

Figure 2. ArcGIS Online map: Christmas Decorations

This kind of map displays data using its attributes (click the icon bottom left for a legend) and can show multiple layers of data, whether your own or brought in from ArcGIS Online.

Below is a Web App created during field week to demonstrate some further capabilities. It's too complex to embed in an interactive form right here in the body of the Story Map but you can click to open it in a new tab. It was added as an "embed" item using its web address. See further down for adding it as an interactive item within a Sidecar element.

Including images

Well-chosen images can help bring life to your Story Map and illustrate key details.

Figure 3. A potential study location.

What images to include? You could take photos of the study location, equipment used, data collection in action, or just a nice shot of your group to bring your report to life!

Images don't have to be photos. For example, if you want a graph then create it in Excel and copy-paste or screenshot and save as an image ( instructions ) before uploading into the Story Map. You might choose to create a diagram or sketch in other software.

Figure 4. This image is "floating"

Floating images allow text alongside. Consider whether this allows your image to be large enough, although the reader can click to expand it.


Beyond the basics

So, text, maps and images are the basic building blocks of a Story Map. These are enough for the assessment in ENV-4004Y, but you might want to explore additional functionality.

Below is a Gallery of images - useful for a related collection of pictures, e.g. species found.

Figure 5. Some completely unrelated calm photos to show what a gallery looks like

You could embed a "sidecar" (below) if you want a scrolling sequence of images, maps or videos at a large size with small amounts of accompanying text. A "slideshow" is similar but you move through it from left to right (not illustrated in this Story Map).

Summing up

Overall, Story Maps are easy to play around with and fairly intuitive. The key thing is that it is only a presentation method so you need to focus on getting the content right - for the assessment you need to have the usual sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References. Just like on a poster, you need to keep the content concise and visually engaging. Avoid large amounts of text to scroll, and keep the design consistent. This example is actually a bit overwhelming with so many different components (gallery, sidecar, maps, video) - think about what your presentation really needs and keep things simple and clear.

Don't forget to Publish your story so people in the organisation can see it, and then get the link so you can include it in your submission for assessment. (Covered in the video on Echo360.) The link to this Story Map is  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/696c9bd017254732a33eabba990715a4  and yours should be a similar format. Note: when your Story Map is marked, we can see the date it was last edited - this must be before the due date!

Have fun, and of course if needed you can ask questions  on the Yammer group . I'm looking forward to seeing what you create!

Katy

Additional resources

These resources were linked in the Story Maps online session for ENV-4004Y. They include examples of Story Maps in use, and practical instructions and tips. The module-specific demo video is  here .

Figure 3. A potential study location.

Figure 4. This image is "floating"