Discuss the preparation that you made for this experiment: Gathered the materials. Substituted a sweet potato for the standard potato. Chose my older son to do the labor on this one as it involved a sharp knife.
Describe the steps you went through to get your students to gain a real interest in this experiment: I explained to my children that we were comparing the potato slice method to the clay in a container method of teaching about contour lines. My children were to give me their opinion of which they though was more fun/effective for a future in-class lesson. My older son was given a knife and asked to form the potato into a mountain with at least two peaks. He worked for a long time to make it just right.
What follow-up activities are planned for this experiment? As a follow-up, the boys and I visited a plot of land where their father is building a home. The plot has a dramatic change in elevation and we discussed the contour lines that would be used to illustrate this landscape on a flat map. The boys also identified the best area for sledding in case the home-owner has children.
Write the state or national standards that 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 boys decided that they like the experiment with the clay better that the potato for use with my Earth Science students next fall. The potato was difficult to cut in perfect slices and the two peaks were challenging to place correctly on the map once separated from the potato.
