"Story maps use geography as a means of organizing and presenting information. They tell the story of a place, event, issue, trend, or pattern in a geographic context. They combine interactive maps with other rich content—text, photos, video, and audio—within user experiences that are basic and intuitive." -Esri

For the first time this year, the Paris-by-Site program is employing technology to offer its students a digital syllabus. Unlike traditional class formats, Paris-by-Site emphasizes on-site visits that allow students to view first-hand the places and artwork they are learning about. The story map was created by Monique Johnson (U-M History of Art PhD, 2014), with the direction of Nancy Herlocher, U-M research computing consultant. Johnson is the program assistant this summer, accompanying lead faculty Professor Howard Lay on the six-week program.

The new story map highlights twenty-two locations in and around Paris. "I think it's an interesting platform for making more dynamic digital syllabi (especially useful for travel abroad programs!)," Johnson explained in an email from Paris, adding that it will help the students visualize the sites and orient themselves spatially. The story map will also serve as a template that students can add to in the future.

View the Story Map to get a taste of what students will experience this summer in Paris.