Reading Topographic Maps Gizmo

In this gizmo students can view the landscape directly from the side to see that contour lines are horizontal and then tilt it to see how mountains and valleys are indicated by patterns in contour lines.

Reading topographic maps gizmo. Understand how topographic maps work by creating a three dimensional landscape and observing the corresponding contour lines. Understand how topographic maps work by creating a three dimensional landscape and observing the corresponding contour lines. Check out this gizmo from explorelearning. The controls at the top of the gizmo allow you to manipulate the landscape on the left and the map on the right.

See how mountains depressions valleys and cliffs are represented on topographic maps. The controls at the top of the gizmo allow you to manipulate the landscape on the left and the map on the right. Learn that contour lines represent lines of constant elevation. X select zoom in and click the landscape several times.

With the rotate tool selected click and drag to turn the map or landscape. Fill in the landscape with water to demonstrate that contours are lines of constant elevation. Create a topographic map by drawing contour lines along the shoreline of a body of water. The reading topographic maps gizmo allows you to see how a three dimensional landscape can be represented by a two dimensional map.

With the rotate tool selected click and drag to turn the map or landscape. The reading topographic maps gizmo allows students to compare a 3d landscape to its corresponding topographic map. The controls at the top of the gizmo allow you to manipulate the try each tool. The reading topographic maps gizmo allows you to see how a three dimensional landscape can be represented by a two dimensional map.

All this and more with the building topographic maps gizmo. Observe that the shoreline of a body of water represents a contour line. See how mountains depressions valleys and cliffs are represented on topographic maps.