Mendon Ponds Park : Topography and Glacial Features Lab

In this activity, provided by the GeoTech Consortium of Western New York, students hike Mendon Ponds Park to learn about topography and glacial features. "Students will fortify their understanding of topographic maps, by physically hiking an area that they previously viewed on paper and experiencing first-hand the distances represented by the scale and elevation changes represented by the contour lines." The 10-page student worksheet includes an introduction, vocabulary, instructions for each section of the activity, a chart for inputting data, and discussion questions. Throughout the activity, students will practice using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to map glacial features.