Topographic Maps

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Lesson Plan
Lesson Rubric
Problem Statement
Activities
Dough Lab
3D Model Sheet
Vocabulary Quiz
Unit Exam
3D Model Checklist
Student Sample One
Student Sample Two
Student Sample Three
Student Sample Four
Class Images

Author: Michelle Bresett
School District: Madrid Waddington Central School
Subject: Earth Science
Grade Range: 9
Duration/Time Required:

  • Number of days: 17
  • Length of period: 42 minutes

1. TITLE/CONTEXT OF LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Topographic Maps
The purpose is to introduce topographic maps and lead students through a series of activities that will result in them being able to solve a problem of getting an injured person through the easiest and quickest route back to base camp.
Listed are the activities that are incorporated in the unit but could be stand-alone.
Learning Standards

  • Standard 6: Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.Key Idea 2: Models are simplified representations of objects, structures, or systems used in analysis, explanation, interpretation, or design.
  • Standard 7: Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.Key Idea 1: The knowledge and skills of mathematics, science, and technology are used together to make informed decisions and solve problems, especially those relating to issues of science/technology/society, consumer decision-making, design, and inquiry into phenomena.
  • Standard 4:Key Idea 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.Performance Indicator 2.1: Use the concepts of density and heat energy to explain observations of weather patterns, seasonal changes, and the movements of Earth’s platesMajor Understanding 2.1q: Topographic maps represent landforms through the use of contour lines that are isolines connecting points of equal elevation. Gradients and profiles can be determined from changes in elevation over a given distance.

What students need to be able to know/do:
Students must have the following prior knowledge to be successful:

  • Latitude and Longitude Coordinate System
  • Map directions (north, east, south, west)
  • Use a map scale for horizontal distance

2. Essential Question
Essential Questions:

  • What can you learn from a topographic map?
  • What information is needed to determine gradient?
  • What is a profile and how do you draw one?

Learning Objectives:

  • Find the contour interval of a topographic map.
  • Determine the approximate elevation of a location between two contour lines.
  • Describe the general topography of an unknown area in terms of slope of the land, general shape landscape features, elevation (relief), and direction of flow for any rivers in the area.
  • Use the map scale to determine the distance between two points on a map.
  • Use the contour interval to determine the change in field value between two points.
  • Calculate the gradient between two points and show all work including substitution with proper units and final answer with proper units.
  • Given a topographic map, construct a profile between two points with the correct interpretation of elevation between consecutive points with the same elevation.
  • Construct a topographic map from a 3-D model.
  • Construct a 3-D model from a topographic map.

3. Assessment Plan
Strategies/Techniques for collecting evidence towards student progress toward meeting learning standards:

  • Observation - observe student progress as they work on activities
  • Group discussions - talk with group members about their progress toward meeting the goal of the exercise
  • Class discussions
  • Questioning
  • Bell Ringers

Tools to document student progress.

Student involvement

  • Students were not involved in developing assessment criteria
  • Students received verbal feedback on their ideas throughout group work and class presentations
  • Students received written feedback on homework and other class worksheets

5. Procedure
Day 1:

  • Teacher passes out problem statement and forms groups of 3 or 4 students. (Students may form their own small groups if the teacher is comfortable with this.)Teacher directs students to brainstorm ideas. What knowledge, tasks, information, etc. will be necessary to proceed with your route plan? Students have about 10 minutes to get together and brainstorm.During this time the teacher walks around and listens and redirects groups to focus on the task at hand.
  • Teacher brings the class back together and asks each group to share their ideas. Most groups will come up with the idea they need a map of the area. Teacher then asks students to think about what type of map they will need.
  • Teacher allows students to use whatever resources available (internet is probably the best solution) to find an appropriate map of the area. Teacher should give 15 minutes for students to research.
  • Students come back together as a group and use resources provided by the teacher to find an appropriate map of the area.

Day 2:

  • Teacher asks the students to share the information they found the previous day. At least one group has hopefully found the type of map they need to solve the problem is a topographic map and possibly they have even found the correct map for the area.Teacher gives each group a copy the Wolf Mountain 7.5 minute topographic map with the location of base camp indicated.Teacher asks the students to come up with a list of items they know about the map and questions they have about the map.
  • Students work to make a list.
  • Teacher asks each group to share the list of what they know without commenting on whether it is correct or incorrect. And makes a class list on the board.
  • Students listen to each group and check their lists to make sure they do not repeat the exact same thing as another group when it is their turn.
  • Teacher asks each group to share their questions that resulted from looking at the topographic map.
  • Students listen to each group and again check their list to make sure they do not repeat the same question when it is their turn to share.
  • If there is time the teacher may address a few of the small items that came up with the class list.

Day 3:

  • Before this class the teacher should group the questions from the previous day. The teacher should make as many groups of questions as there are groups of students. The teacher may also want to put together a list of Internet resources the students may use to find the answers to the questions.Students will be assigned a group of questions to find the answers for and have the answers ready to present. Students can use their textbook if it is adequate or they may be taken to a computer lab to use the Internet as a resource.

Day 4:

  • Teacher arranges for each group of students to present the answers to their questions. Students may have chosen to present with a computer so necessary arrangements for this technology must be made in advance.Each group of students presents their questions. Other groups take notes, as they will be responsible for all the material, not just the information presented by their group.As students present the teacher should clarify and ask questions to facilitate the learning by the whole class.

Day 5:

  • Teacher completes Topo Dough Lab with students. Prior to this day make sure all necessary materials have been obtained.Students complete activity and answer questions. It may be necessary for students to take questions home to answer them.

Day 6:

  • Teacher covers necessary knowledge of fields and isolines to continue with topographic map unit.Teacher presents vocabulary words: elevation, contour line, contour interval, index contour line, depression contour line, spot elevation, benchmark, etc.Students take notes and practice using the ideas and concepts associated with these words.
  • Teacher asks students to come up with the three basic pieces of information presented by a topographic map: elevation, steepness/slope, and shape/size of landscape features.

Day 7:

  • Teacher asks students to write in their journal a response to this question: Describe three pieces of information that can be obtained from a topographic map? Students write in journalTeacher asks students to think about the topographic maps they constructed from their play dough landforms. What did they notice happened to the lines where the river was on the landform? Students respond with they make an indent.Teacher asks students which way the indent pointed, upstream or downstream? Students discuss and come to the conclusion the indent points upstream. The contour lines make a V shape when crossing a stream or river.
  • Teacher gives students an elevation field with no contour lines drawn and with a stream. Teacher helps students to understand how to determine where to draw the contour lines. Teacher helps all students with the first few lines by having the map on an overhead projector.
  • Students continue to draw the contour lines using the newly gained knowledge.
  • Student volunteers draw each successive contour line on the overhead projector map.
  • When map is finished, a quick review and class discussion occurs to make sure concepts are solidified.

Day 8:

  • Teacher asks students what the word profile means. Students supply their answers.Teacher helps to lead the discussion toward the idea that a profile is a side view.Teacher uses the map drawn the previous day to instruct students in drawing a topographic profile. Students draw a topographic profile.
  • Students spend about 10 minutes going back to their problem statement and beginning an initial route plan.

Day 9:

  • Teacher passes out Construct a 3-D Model activity. Teacher goes over the directions with students. It would be helpful to have a completed model to show students what they will be doing.Students choose an area from a real topographic map and begin the process of constructing their model.

Day 10 - 11:

  • Teacher monitors progress of 3-D model construction. Students work on their models.

Day 12:

  • Teacher uses the map drawn on day 7 to go over the concept of gradient and how to calculate the exact gradient rather than qualitatively describing it based upon contour interval.Teacher goes through a sample problem of gradient calculation.Students complete 3 or 4 gradient calculations on their own and share answers with their table partner to check their work.
  • Students take vocabulary quiz.

Day 13:

  • Students work on their route down the mountain. Work on planning route and profiles, gradient calculations, or 3-D models to justify their route.Teacher monitors progress of each group. Asking questions and redirecting focus where necessary.

Day 14:

  • Students work on completing their route plan and justification.Teacher monitors progress.

Day 15:

  • Each group of students presents their route plan and justification to the rest of the class.Teacher grades presentation part of the assessment rubric and asks questions of the individual group members to make sure all members are familiar with the plan.

Day 16:

  • Teacher assesses the 3-D model construction from days 9, 10,11 using the interview questions and checklist.Students work on review packet for topographic maps.

Day 17:

  • Students complete multiple choice and constructed response test on topographic maps.

6. Resources
For the teacher:

For the student:

7. Instructional/Environmental Modifications
No modifications were necessary for this lesson in my classroom this year.

8. Time Required

  • Planning:
    This would vary depending on what type of topographic maps a teacher already had. Finding a location suitable for the problem statement could take a while if the teacher had to go looking for maps. Two or three 41 minute class periods would be suitable for finding a location, finding Internet resources appropriate for the students to use, organizing student questions into groups, and making the necessary arrangements for computer technology if required. If a teacher was planning this type of activity from scratch I would almost double that time.
  • Implementation:
    Length of class period is 41 minutes. Activity from Day 9, 10, 11 was completed outside of regular class time in the additional 41 minute period laboratory. Total class time fourteen days.
  • Assessment:
    Varies depending on time each teacher takes to grade papers. 3-D models construction does require a class period to grade based on the assessment type of interviewing students about their experience and their understanding of what the model shows. Unit Test required a couple hours of grading time.

9. Reflection

I developed this unit in this format because in the earth science core curriculum it refers to this type of activity under the learning standard.

I learned quite a bit from implementing this unit. I did not know about problem-based learning prior to this experience. I had heard about, but had no direct experience with it. I found that this method of instruction is time consuming when you are creating the problem statement and some of the supplemental materials to go with it. However, the overall performance on the final unit test was excellent. The class average on this test ranged from 15-20 points higher than any previous test. I have definitely decided this is well worth the creative time and effort and even the extra class time to instruct using this method more often.

Current teacher education training is focused on inquiry methods of instruction. Many of the journals in the science education field refer to inquiry or problem-based learning. I believe this lesson does reflect current practice of focusing more on the student doing rather than the teacher telling.

This unit helps students with skills of cooperative teams, presenting, and problem solving to name a few. I believe it is important for students to learn these skills now, as they will be helpful in any future employment situation. Adults are quite often asked to accomplish tasks as team rather than individually.

I believe the students liked most of the activities in this unit. Many students commented positively and some received their highest test score to date. I think they enjoyed working in teams they chose themselves and being highly involved in their learning rather than a passive participant. I know some students were frustrated with me not telling them the answers to their questions. They were upset they had to find the answer for themselves, but their test scores mostly speak for themselves. Learning by doing helped them remember more than just having me supply them the answers.