Collecting Data to Construct an Isoline Map

National Geography Standard 1 requires that students learn:"How to use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information" (Heffron and Downs 2012). These concepts have real-world applicability. For example, elevation contour maps are common in many situations, such as civil engineering, geology, land use planning, or outdoor activities like hiking and hunting. Climatological maps, such as isobaric, isohyet, and isotherm maps are commonly encountered in newspaper and television weather reports. Students seldom have an opportunity to collect data themselves and this exercise accomplishes that objective. It is appropriate for earth science or geography classes in middle or high school as well as earth science, geology, or physical geography classes at the college level. The exercise teaches students how to collect original data in the field and to interpret their data. After collecting their data, students will then construct a contour map. The exercise is appropriate for earth science or geography classes in middle or high school as well as earth science, geology, or physical geography classes at the college level.