Day 3

Day 3: Topographic Maps

Goal: Students will identify contour lines and landform features on a topographic map, using this knowledge to complete a thumbnail sketch of their place from a bird’s eye view.  

Estimated time: 60 minutes

• Beginning, Middle, End Warm-up- Show painting by Ryder Erickson Checking the Net for Kings with Papa. Using the graphic organizer, have them write down their ideas about whether the painting Checking the Net for Kings with Papa is a scene from the beginning, middle, or end of the story. 

• Next, show students the painting View from Lookout Point. Ask students: Which painting shows more of a bird's eye perspective? (View from Lookout Point) Why? (Because it is up high looking down at the river, rather than across the water). Have students compare the perspectives of the two paintings. 

• Hand out topographic maps of the region (or direct students to online resource). Tell students that they are looking at examples of a TOPOGRAPHIC map because if shows the changes in the land. The lines that show where the land becomes more steep or flat are called CONTOUR LINES. Have students trace them with their fingers. (Teacher may choose to contrast the Topographic maps with other types of maps, such as the Google Maps of BSSD communities, in Materials section). 

• Using a viewfinder, have students practice finding contour lines and landform features (for example, “Find Powers Creek and place your viewfinder on the area where the creek flows into the ocean.”).   See example below.  

• Demonstrate how to use the map and viewfinder to sketch the map onto a piece of scratch paper. Encourage students that their map will not look exactly like the topographic map, and to draw lightly with their pencils, in case they need to erase. If students are having difficulty, they can use the light from a window to trace the major lines (rivers/land lines etc.) onto their paper (if map is paper), or using the light of the computer screen (if their map is on the computer).

• Students will practice drawing what they see in various places on the map on scratch paper.

• Next, have students find the place on the map where their story is taking place. Using the Bird’s Eye/Worm’s Eye Perspective Workbook, students will complete a thumbnail sketch – Part IV – Planning for Painting #3). Students may choose to include or not include contour lines in the sketch, and from how far away their third composition is from their previous two drawings. See example below. 

Vocabulary

Topographic

Contour Lines

Viewfinder

Materials 

See Materials section, Day 3