Discuss the preparation you made for this experiment: The kids and I discussed map making and the value of knowing elevation when looking at a flat map. We gathered materials including natural clay which is abundant in our yard. I asked my husband, a builder, for some plot plans showing contour lines. One of the plans was for our own 5 acre lot which has many changes in height. Another was for a flat lot.
Discuss the steps that you went through to get your students to gain a real interest in this experiment: The boys and I looked at the plot plans that my husband provided and we discussed the differences in the contour lines. We compared the plot of our own land to our knowledge of that land from daily experience. We found the steepest and lest steep areas according to the contour lines.
What follow-up activities are planned for this experiment? As a follow up, we experimented with the Prentice Hall website that allows you to design a plot of land while simultaneously watching the contour map of the land change. I challenged them to make the land look like a scoop of ice cream. Before beginning I asked them to predict the contour lines for their “mountain”. We also discussed how this would differ from the contour lines of a soccer field. The kids laughed that our schools soccer field would have many contour lines as it is far from flat.
Write the state or national standard you feel this experiment fulfilled:
- Use models to analyze the size and shape of the Earth, its surface and its interior.
- Read and analyze topographic and geologic maps.
Comments: The natural clay we used from the yard did not hold up well when water was added to mark the contour lines. We altered the experiment by using white “model magic” clay and filling the container with salt as we marked each centimeter of elevation with a different color. The result was attractive and illustrated contour mapping well.
