Numerous educators have noted that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful tool for social studies teaching and learning. Yet the use of GIS has been hampered by issues such as the cost of the software and the management of large spatial data files. One trend that shows great promise for GIS in education is the move to cloud computing. The "cloud" refers to a virtual network that provides many users with access to files, services, and applications. The Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) recently released a GIS application called ArcGIS Explorer that takes advantage of cloud computing to deliver a virtual GIS environment. Once the free application is downloaded, students and teachers can interact with maps by performing common GIS tasks, such as adding or subtracting layers, zooming in and out, panning, and identifying features. One of the most exciting features of this tool is the ability to capture a series of maps and build a presentation. In this article, the authors describe how they used ArcGIS Explorer with ninth-grade geography students to study economic development and the ways in which countries are classified as more, or less, developed. (Contains 1 figure and 9 notes.)