1. Topographic Map Skills
What other types of information (besides Location) can maps show?

2. Catalyst
1. Jelly Bean Video Reflection: What would you do differently?
2. What method do we use to answer questions in science?
3. THINK: What types of information do we get from maps?

3. Sneak Peek: Unit 1: Geology: Were the continents always in their current positions?

4. Be able to locate the 7 continents!
FINISH: WORLD MAPS
Be able to locate the 7 continents!
The 5 major oceans!
Which ocean is LARGEST?

5. Latitude and Longitude
Influences climate
Latitude = our altitude to Polaris (the North Star)
Longitude
Same longitude experiences the same time (time zones)
Label the time zones on your Map Skills worksheet!

6. TIME ZONES What is a time zone?
Thought Question: Why do time zones exist?
Does the sun RISE and FALL at the same time in all places in the world?
Even today (and especially in ancient times, people measured noon by the position of the Sun directly overhead!)
A time zone is a region that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes.

7. Earth rotates on its axis at 15°/hour The Earth has a total of 360°, 24 time zones as a result of our rotation

8. UNITED STATES TIME ZONES
What are the 4 major US time zones?
Eastern
Central
Mountain
Pacific
Which one
do we live in?

9. WEATHER MAPS: ISOTHERMS
Isotherm: lines that connect areas of equal temperatures
Iso = equal
Therm = temperature (or heat)

10. Vocabulary for Success
Iso
Isotherm
Contour lines
Elevation
Sea level
Contour index
Contour interval

11. Isolines Lines that connect areas of equal value on a map Iso = equal
Ex) isotherm map

12. Topographic Maps
Globes, projections, & geological maps do not show all the features of the land like rivers, hills, and constructed features.
Topographic maps can show us characteristics of the land
Contour lines on the map show elevation!

13. Contour Lines Contour line is a specific type of iso-line
Lines that connect points of equal elevation on a map
Elevation = height above sea level
Sea level = average height of all Earth’s oceans

14. Topographic Map
What do you notice about this map?

15. Decoding the Map
Map Scale = ratio between distances on a map and actual distances on the surface of Earth (ex. 1: 24,000)
If there were buildings on this map, how big would they be in real life?
Map Legend = explains what the symbols represent on the map

16. Contour Interval
Contour interval – distance between contour lines on a map

17. Contour Index Reference contour line whose elevation is labeled
Think: Index finger 

18. Fast Facts 1. Closer lines = steeper slope 2. Depression = hole
3. Highest elevation of a hill
Find the highest/latest contour line
Highest possible elevation is just below that of the next line

19. Let’s Practice: The Flag Race Contour Interval = 100 feet At what elevation did I leave my glasses?

20. The Flag Race Map
100 feet
500 feet

21. The Flag Race Contour Interval = 100 feet
Which side of the mountain would you chose to climb up?
Why?
100 Feet

22. SLOPE
STEEP
Less steep

23. The Flag Race Contour Interval = 100 feet
Which side is less steep?
100 Feet

24. The Flag Race Map
Which side is less steep on the map? How can we tell? What does “steepness” look like on the map?
100 feet
500 feet
Let’s give these lines a name….

25. So what ARE those Squiggley lines on the map?

26. We call those lines…
Contour line = connects points of equal elevation

27. The Flag Race What is the elevation of your forgotten sunglasses
The Flag Race What is the elevation of your forgotten sunglasses? How do you know? We call the spaces between each line, the contour interval. Write your own definition of what “contour interval” means.
500 feet
100 Feet

28. The contour interval is 10…
*What is the elevation of the church?
*What is the elevation of the school?
240
200

29. The contour interval is 50…
*What is the elevation of the church?
*What is the elevation of the school?
300ft
100 ft

30. BONUS: The contour interval is 100
BONUS: The contour interval is The x represents the elevation of the peak. What is the highest possible elevation of the peak?
100 x
500

31. What if we have to figure the contour interval out on our own?
Steps to calculate contour interval
Subtract the elevations of two index contour lines
Count the number of spaces between two index contour lines
Divide the difference in elevation by the number of spaces between two index contour lines

32. Calculate Contour Interval
Step 1: 800 – 700 = 100
Step 2: Count spaces: 5
Step 3: 100/5 = 20
Contour interval = 20!

33. Calculate Contour Interval on this map

34. PARTNER WORK  1. With the person sitting beside you:
-Construct a landform out of Play-Doh.
-It should include several different elevations.
2. Draw a contour map of your landform.
3. Raise your hand – when checked off:
FIND ANOTHER GROUP TO TRADE WITH! Try to construct their landform!

35. Find a line across a contour map
Use a piece of paper to mark off where the contour lines cross the line.
Use the paper as the x-axis of a graph with the y-axis equal to the contour interval
Plot the points and connect them with a smooth line.
A profile shows the side view of a contour map.