Posted by:
Kathleen Lee
11/15/2006 9:40:29 AM
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| Title: |
A Contouring We Go |
| Grade Level: |
High School |
| Subject Area: |
Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Technology
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| Lesson Time: |
Three to five fifty-minute class periods |
| Introduction: |
This 5 day lesson is intended to further develop the
students’ understanding of the built environment and
infrastructures of their community. The students will learn
how to construct contour equipment, use the equipment, and
compare the results to current topographical maps of the
same area. The lesson should focus on the highest hill in a
park or area of town near the school. The students will
construct a contour map of this hill in class. |
| Standards: |
Math - Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers,
relationships among numbers, and number systems
- Specify
locations and describe spatial relationships using
coordinate geometry
- Analyze characteristics and properties
of two and three dimensional geometric shapes
- Apply
appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine
measurements
- Understand measurable attributes of objects
and the units, systems, and processes of measurement
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Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of
mathematics
Social Studies People, Places and
Environments - Refine mental maps of locales,
regions and the world that demonstrate understanding of
relative location, direction, size and shape
- Create,
interpret, use and synthesize information from various
representations of the earth, such as maps, globes, and
photographs
- Use appropriate resources, data sources and
geographic tools such as aerial photographs, satellite
images, geographic information systems, map projections,
and cartography to generate, manipulate and interpret
information such as atlases, data bases, grid systems,
charts, graphs, and maps
- Calculate distance, scale, area,
and density, and distinguish spatial distribution patterns
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Describe, differentiate, and explain the relationships
among various regional and global patterns of geographic
phenomena such as landforms, soils, and climate,
vegetation, natural resources, and population
- Describe and
compare how people create places that reflect culture,
human needs, government policy, and current values and
ideals as they design and build specialized buildings,
neighborhoods, shopping centers, urban centers, industrial
parks, and the like
- Examine, interpret and analyze physical
and cultural patterns and their interactions, such as land
use, settlement patterns, cultural transmission of customs
and ideas, and ecosystem changes
- Analyze and evaluate
social and economic effects of environmental changes and
crisis resulting from phenomena such as floods, storms, and
drought
- Propose, compare and evaluate alternative policies
for the use of land and other resources in communities,
regions, nations, and the world
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| Objectives: |
Students will be able to: - construct contour equipment
for use in the chosen park or area of town
- acquire land
elevations of a given area
- explain what contours are and
why they are important to the built environment
- construct a
model of the contours they created from their field studies
and compare them to contour maps created by modern
equipment
- make connections to the importance of contouring
to community infrastructures
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| Resources: |
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| Materials: |
- computers with Internet connections
- drill
- wood
- string
- foam
board or cardboard boxes
- glue tracing paper
- box cutters
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bolts, nuts, and washers
- clear plastic tube
- clear plastic
tape
- funnel
- water
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| Vocabulary: |
Contour -following the lay of the land, rather than
cutting through or across it; to mark contour lines on
something such as a map; to build or operate something so
that it follows the natural shape of the land
Topographical -to build or operate something so that it
follows the natural shape of the land Slope -Ground
that inclines slightly; a slant upward; mathematics: the
tangent of the angle between a straight line and the x-axis
Infrastructure -the large-scale public systems,
services, and facilities of a country or region that are
necessary for economic activity, including power and water
supplies, public transportation, telecommunications, roads,
and schools |
| Procedures: |
Preview: Why do you think buildings and
structures are placed in certain locations? What do
you need to know to dig a well; to build a building in a
wetland; to build on a slope or hill? What do you think
would happen if you built a house on a piece of land you
were not familiar with? Day one - Introduce the lesson by
reviewing the preview questions with the class. Explain
that they will learn about contour maps, and their
importance to farmers, builders, city planners, and
engineers.
- Go to the contour maps website: https://academic.
brooklyn. cuny.
edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/contourmaps_menu. html and
have the students complete the on-line assignment
individually, in groups, or as a whole class.
- Have the
students take the quiz at the end of the website.
- Next,
pass out the handouts on how to make contour map equipment.
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Form groups of 4-5 students and assign each group a piece
of contouring equipment to make. (I had the class build two
of each measuring device and it worked out well. )
- Pass out
or have the students gather the supplies for the project.
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For the A-frame with the plumb line, you may have to
explain “ dead center. ” The math teacher
explained this portion and showed the students how to
measure dead center for each hole that had to be drilled.
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After the marks are made, supervise the drilling. Students
should wear protective eyewear.
- For the other measuring
device, have them break the number line down into a large
yardstick. If you want to use a yardstick you can, but it
takes the fun out of it. You can also improve the
measuring device with a few modifications.
Day two -
After the equipment is completed, select a hill near your
school. We used the highest elevation in a nearby
park. Bring 30 or more stakes.
- Practice using the equipment
and begin to measure and place the stakes.
- Provide the
students with a starting elevation as a point of reference
and have the first group measure down by two feet and the
other by ten feet. Measure and record five elevations and
write them down. (I brought a contour map of the area with
us. )
- While in the park, explain slope to the students and
provide them with the formula for finding slope. Make sure
they understand how to apply the formula to their work.
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When you return to the classroom, debrief with the
students. “ What did you like and dislike about the
activity? What did you learn? Did anyone figure out
the slope of the hill? If you were a farmer, where would
you dig for a well on the hill—the top or the
bottom?” Compare their measurements with an
aerial photo of the exact area or a contour map of the area
to check for accuracy.
Days three-five - Demonstrate how
to trace the contours using tracing paper and record the
elevations on the traced pattern.
- The students should
follow the same procedure for all of the elevations they
want to construct.
- Cut the patterns out and have the
students layer them on top of one another and glue them
down. It should look like the hill they contoured.
- The
students can paint it green and add trees or
buildings to scale if they desire.
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| Assessment: |
- The student can explain what contours are through drawing
and verbal means
- The student can create a topographical map
using collected data
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Enrichment
Extension Activities: |
- Investigate how the land has changed over time due to the
creation of city infrastructures.
- Have the students look up
other historical maps from the area and analyze them.
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Investigate the homes and structures in the community.
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Write a story about the early settlers (native included)
and how they surveyed the land and built the homes that are
still standing.
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| Teacher Reflection: |
The students loved these lessons because they applied what
they learned in class outside of class. They enjoyed the
math because they understood it. They liked working with
their hands and comparing their work and findings to the
experts. |
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