Student Notebook
DESIGN CHALLENGE
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DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Setting the Stage
This is Stacy STEAMtrax reporting to you from the base of Mt. Everest in Nepal. I am with a team of scientists on a mission to gather a sample of the rock cap on the mountain’s peak. If they can successfully climb the highest mountain on earth, they will drill through the ice on top and bring back a sample of the rock below it. This new evidence will support the theory that the highest spot on earth was once far beneath the ocean. Scientists discovered years ago that the rock cap of Mt. Everest is made of limestone. They were puzzled at first because limestone is formed mostly from fossilized marine life, such as plankton, fish, and crabs. Limestone forms at the bottom of warm, shallow seas. Geologists asked themselves, “How is it that a mountain over 5 miles high could once have been at the bottom of the ocean?” The answer lies in a theory called plate tectonics. The idea of plate tectonics claims that The earth’s crust is not solid. Rather it is broken into more than 30 separate plates that float on the dense layer of melted rock, or magma, below it. The continents located on each plate moved or drifted with the plates. This theory is sometimes called “continental drift” because scientists can measure the movement of the continents. As the continents drifted, continents sometimes crashed into others. The impact pushed the land high into the air and formed mountain ranges. The Himalaya Mountains, where Everest is found, was created 40–60 million years ago when India slammed into Asia. A small sea called the Tethys Sea was squeezed up between the colliding two plates, which pushed the sea sediments to the top of the Himalaya Mountains! In fact, India is still moving north, and the Himalaya Mountains continue to grow. Mt. Everest gets about 1 cm taller each year. How can scientists determine that the elevation of the peak of Mount Everest is changing? One way is the use of topographic maps!
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Student Notebook DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Setting the Stage Continued Topography refers to the shape of the land. A topographic map uses contour lines to represent 3 dimensional landform surface features such as elevation and slope. Your challenge is to design and print a 3D model of a topographic map of a mountain.
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DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Setting the Stage Continued Read the story of Stacy’s visit to Mt. Everest in Nepal to learn how topographic maps are used by mountain climbers and geologists to study landforms. Complete the CLOZE sentence below: The challenge is to design a
of a ________________
CRITERIA OR DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
List the criteria or what the design requires and the constraints or limits on the design due to resources and environment below. Criteria:______________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Constraints or Limits on the Design: _____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ What are other questions or science concepts you need to learn before solving the problem?_________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
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LEARNING STATION 1
Creating a Stackable Mountain STATION DATA SHEET
South side North side
1 cm slice
1. Build a tan clay mountain model at least 12 cm tall on the foam plate. 2. Place the ruler next to the mountain, and mark its height in 1 cm increments on one side of the mountain using a blue permanent marker to designate it as the north side. 3. Place the ruler next to the mountain, and mark its height in 1 cm increments on one side of the mountain using a red permanent marker to designate it as the south side. This will help to identify each side of the mountain after it is separated into sections. 4. Cut a piece of dental floss that is long enough to cut horizontally through the model at each cm mark. 5. Take the layer and set it aside. 6. Repeat this process 1 cm layer at a time until you reach the bottom of the model and have completely layered the entire model. 7. Beginning with the bottom layer, trace each layer on the tracing paper before placing the layers of the model back in place on the foam plate. Carefully align the north and south sides. Tape the map to the space provided on the following page.
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LEARNING STATION 1
Creating a Stackable Mountain Continued 8. Align your map of the mountain to the compass. N
W
E
S Use the diagrams on page 5 to help you complete each sentence. 1. The clay model is
dimensional, while the map on paper is
dimensional.
2. Each layer of the clay model represents an area of land with the same or height sea level.
3. Each circular contour elevation.
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on the map connects points of equal
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LEARNING STATION 2
Making a Topographic Map from a Model STATION DATA SHEET
mountain valley
hill
1. Mark off the side of the container in cm, using a centimeter ruler and permanent pen. 2. Flatten the clay in the bottom of the container to form a base. Create a small clay hill on one end of the container. 3. Make a tall clay mountain on the other end of the plastic container, being sure that the mountain peak is at least 2 cm shorter than the top of the container. Smooth the clay to make a valley between the mountain and hill. Draw a picture of how the clay model looks from the side in the box labeled profile view on page 9. 4. Tape the transparency over the top of the food container and trace the outer edge of the landform while looking from above the container. This is the first contour line of the map showing sea level. 5. Pour water into the container until the water level reaches the first centimeter mark.
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LEARNING STATION 2
Making a Topographic Map from a Model Continued 6. Mark off the side of the container in cm, using a centimeter ruler and permanent pen. 7. Flatten the clay in the bottom of the container to form a base. Create a small clay hill on one end of the container. 8. Make a tall clay mountain on the other end of the plastic container, being sure that the mountain peak is at least 2 cm shorter than the top of the container. Smooth the clay to make a valley between the mountain and hill. Draw a picture of how the clay model looks from the side in the box labeled profile view on page 9. 9. Tape the transparency over the top of the food container and trace the outer edge of the landform while looking from above the container. This is the first contour line of the map showing sea level. 10. Pour water into the container until the water level reaches the first centimeter mark. 11. Place the transparency over the top of the container so the first contour line is lined up with the outer edge of the clay model. After lining up the transparency, draw another contour line to show the level of the water on the clay landform. 12. Continue to add water 1 cm at a time, drawing a new contour line to show the water elevation for each centimeter. Leave just the peak of the mountain showing above the water line. 13. Tape a piece of tracing paper over the transparency and carefully trace the map on the paper. Tape the paper map in the box labeled contour map. 14. Create a scale for your map on the bottom right of the map. 1 cm = 100 meters. Label the elevation on each contour line on your map.
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LEARNING STATION 2
Making a Topographic Map from a Model Continued Profile View of Clay Model
Contour map
Use the diagrams above to help you complete each sentence. 1. The clay model is 2.
dimensional, while the map on paper is
dimensional.
is the height above or below sea level.
3. On the steeper slope, the lines are they are
apart.
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together, and on the gradual slope,
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LEARNING STATION 3
Identifying Slopes STATION DATA SHEET Hill as Shown on Map steep slope
gentle slope
A
gentle slope
B
steep slope
Use the diagrams above to help you complete each sentence. 1. A
slope has widely spaced contour lines.
2. The closer the contour lines are to one another, the 3. When contour lines are
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the slope.
spaced there is a constant slope.
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LEARNING STATION 4
Contour Lines on a Topographic Map STATION DATA SHEET
A B
Contour Interval
C
Index Contour
Contour Line
Rules of contour lines on a topographic map • Every point on a contour line represents the exact same elevation. Walking along a contour line on a topographic map keeps you at the same elevation. • Every fifth contour line is an index contour line. Index contour lines are thicker and darker than the other contour lines, and are usually labeled with an elevation. This map has a change in elevation of 250 feet between index contour lines.
• The contour interval is the spacing between the contour lines. Contour lines are very close together on steep slopes like mountains, and wider apart on gradual inclines like hills.
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LEARNING STATION 4
Contour Lines on a Topographic Map Continued Use the topographic map to answer the questions based on your observations. 1. What is the elevation at Index Contour Line A? 2. What is the most likely elevation at Index Contour Line B? 3. What is the elevation at Index Contour Line C? 4. What is the interval for each of the four contour lines between A and C?
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DEVELOP A SOLUTION
2D Design Sketch
Think about what you learned by constructing and testing a topographic map model, and the problem statement below. The challenge is to design a
of a
Make a sketch of the topographic map model that you think will meet the challenge. 2D Sketch
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Engineering Improve it Plan List merits of the model ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ List suggested improvements of the model ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
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DESIGN CHALLENGE
Making a 3D Topographic Landform Model PROBLEM:
To design and build a landform model prototype from cardstock to depict an area in a topographic map. (In all phases of the engineering challenge, record your measurements, calculations, sketches, and analysis.)
DESIGN CHALLENGE:
Design a landform model that matches an area of a topographic map.
CONSTRAINTS/CRITERIA:
• The model of the landform and the corresponding topographic map must match in slope and elevation. • Slope and elevation must be represented by contour lines and index contour lines. • The map must contain a compass and a scale.
Test and Analyze Calculate the actual height of your landform model in meters and in feet using the contour lines on your map. Example: 1 meter = 3,281 feet 500 meters = 1, 640 feet 1,000 meter = feet 1,500 meters = feet 2,000 meters = feet
Height of Landform Model Meters
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Feet
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√
Presentation Checklist and Feedback
PROBLEM
TEACHER FEEDBACK
The challenge is to design a of a
.
MERITS OF DESIGN
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
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SELF AND GROUP
Evaluation
1. How well did your topographic map model work? _________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Did your topographic map model meet your expectations? Why or why not? ____________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. Describe one problem you had while constructing your topographic map model. How did you solve this problem? _____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. List two things you learned from working on this project. ___________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
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Dear Parents: We are excited to let you know that for the next your student will be exploring geological engineering using 3D printing resources from DATES
.
He/she will be doing this by creating a topographic map model and map to learn how three-dimensional landform features, such as elevation and slope, can be 3D printed from two-dimensional topographic maps. This project will include learning objectives from all of the major STEAM areas of focus: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). From this project-based learning activity, your student will be learning the following skills: Science:
• Explore concepts related to topographic maps, contour lines, slope, elevation, and shape. Technology:
• Use CAD (computer-assisted drawing) software to design and print a designated object. Engineering:
• Create and compare solutions to a problem. • Apply earth science concepts used in geological engineering. Art:
• Explore a variety of art materials while learning new techniques and processes. Math:
• Solve problems using mathematical reasoning. • Estimate elevation of landforms using contour lines on topographic maps. • Use measurement tools such as graduated cylinders and metric rulers. We will have a challenge to test the different designs from each of the groups on
DATE
.
Please don’t hesitate to email or call me if you have any questions, and I cannot wait for your student to let you know about the wonderful learning experiences happening in our class! Best, Teacher Contact Information
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