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Learning About Topographic Maps with Models

Today in class I introducd topographic maps using a mountain building lab.  The lab write-up is from a resource that we own called StemScopes.  I used the lab as an explore lesson before I taught them anything about topographic maps.  The students are far more interested when they aren’t quite sure what they are doing or what the outcome is supposed to be.

This lab teaches them about contour lines and how to read a topographic map.  They also explore the changes to a topographic map as erosion happens over time with streams and rivers.  The students first build a 4 cm mountain with sculpting clay or play-doh.  They journal the profile view.  After that they slice the mountain up into four lays and trace each of the layers into their journal.  This is where they are first introduced to the term contour lines.

They put their mountains back together and create a small stream in the side of the mountain and then slice it up again.  After re-tracing their new mountain that journal about what changes have happened.  The final part to the lab happens when they create a fast moving river running down the mountain and then slice it up one last time.  They then journaled their third contour image of the mountain and discuss how erosion has changed the topographic map over time.

The lab is really good and hits home the content really well.  I chose to lead the lab from the front of the class on my document camera to keep everyone on task.  Everyone worked in pairs but they went at my pacing.  I’m fairly confident that without doing this I would have had a lot more issues with students getting off task.  The way I did it was perfect for a 45-minute class period and allowed me to get in some good morsels of instruction along the way.

Obviously, I can’t share the write-up because we purchased it from a company, but if enough people were interested I would certainly consider creating my own with some modifications that I think are necessary.  At the end of class we still had some time to look at some real topographic maps that I created using the method suggested in yesterday’s post.  Let me know in the comments if that interests anyone.

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