4. Contour Lines

• Above sea level.
• Mountains and contour lines.
• Finding areas of high and low ground on maps.

Teaching points: Maps are flat unlike some of the ground which they represent so we use contour lines on a map to show how high the ground is.

These contour lines are an important way of showing the rise and fall of the land on a map. Contour lines show all the places that are the same height above sea level. They also tell us about the slope of the land. On a steep slope, the lines are close together. On a more gentle slope, they are farther apart. If there are no contour lines, the land is almost flat.
 

Discovery Series maps (Ordnance Survey): These maps can show information about land height or the relief of the land. This information shows that the paler colour contour lines are all 10m apart and that the darker colour contour lines are all 50m apart. These darker contour lines have the height indicated on them.

In this section children are introduced to how high ground is represented on maps.

They find out that hills and mountains are shown with contour lines. They see how contour lines connect all the land that is the same height. Attention is drawn to the fact that the closer these lines are placed to each other the steeper the ground.

When the contour lines in the highlighted area are further apart. This means that the ground is less steep.

Using colour to show height: children see that the darker the brown the higher the ground

• Activity: Seeing Benbulben as a picture and then as depicted on a contour map.
• Contour line quiz: children are asked to identify areas of steep ground on a map by zooming in and out on certain points.
• Above sea level explained.
• Activity: Game –children are asked to drag and drop a cartoon character above and below sea level.
• How to tell whether ground is rising or falling: V shape when a contour line meets a river. If the v points upwards this indicates uphill.