Topographical Map
Studying the different types of maps is essential for geography students. When teaching about topographic maps, or maps where geographical changes are enumerated using lines, consider using this fun activity to teach the students how topographical maps are made. For an added treat, the student's next lesson can be on making pumpkin muffins with the remains of their mountain.
Instructions
1. Using the carving knife, cut the pumpkin in half width wise, so that one piece has the stump at the top.
2. Have the students use the spoons to scoop out all the seeds and insides and throw them away.
3. Divide the students into groups and set the two pieces of the pumpkin on the wax papers.
4. Assign a student in each group to measure the pumpkin.
5. Instruct them to hold the ruler upright against the side of the pumpkin, and place the point of the pencil touching the pumpkin.
6. Have the students mark a line completely around the pumpkin at 1 cm by moving the ruler/pencil around the entire pumpkin.
7. Then instruct them to move the pencil up to the 3 cm mark on the ruler and repeat step 6.
8. Using the pencil the students can begin creating the contour lines by moving the pencil up 2 cm at a time until the top of the pumpkin is reached.
9. Remove the wax paper and place the pumpkin on a sheet of blank butcher paper. Trace around the outside edge of the pumpkin with the brown pencil. Take the pumpkin off the paper and place it back on the wax paper.
10. Using the carving knife, have the students carefully cut the pumpkin at the first elevation line, by moving the knife all around the pumpkin and following their markings. Make the cut as even as possible, trying not to change the levels of the marks.
11. Remove the pumpkin from the wax paper and the bottom slice that you cut off of the pumpkin. Set the slice aside and place the remainder of the pumpkin in the center of the first contour line that was traced on the paper. Trace the edges again, and the put the pumpkin back on the wax paper.
12. Instruct students to repeat steps 9-11 for the remainder of the contour lines to complete the topographic map of the pumpkin.
13. Have students use the orange colored pencil to label the contour lines. They should label the first contour "0 cm", the next line "1 cm", and continue to the top of the pumpkin.
Tags: contour lines, Have students, around pumpkin, back paper, carving knife