Introduction and Lessons
A
map is a picture of a place. Different maps show different
information. No one map can show everything. Below are some
different maps of Salt Lake City. Each shows a different
thing. How can you tell what each map shows? Look at the
legend. The legend is the key to unlocking the secrets of
maps.
Several activities are presented to assist in teaching the
concepts of reading maps. Please consult Teacher's
Guide, which explains how the activities are related to
locations, places, relationships, movement, and regions. From
there, you can check out the following activities:
Lesson
1: Introduction to Maps
Lesson
2: Some Things You Need to Know to Read a Map
Lesson
3: What You Can Learn From a Map
Lesson
4: How to Read a Topographic Map
Posters
Click on the images below to see the
full view.
Photo of Salt Lake City,
Utah
Here is a picture of Salt Lake City. It's a city
by a lake with mountains, and some snow. Salt Lake City is the
capitol of Utah. You can see the domed State capitol building
in the picture.
Shaded Relief Map of Salt
Lake City Region
You could use this map to find the
locations of the cities and towns. But most important, it
shows the shape of the land—mountains, valleys, rivers, and
lakes. Shaded relief maps show how a particular area looks
with sunlight shining on it from a particular direction. This
map shows part of the Great Salt Lake—a huge inland body of
water. Using the legend
for this map, you can also find out which towns are the
largest and which towns are the smallest.
Road Map of Salt Lake
City Region
Road maps show people how they can travel
from one place to another. They also show some physical
features, such as mountains and rivers, and political
features, such as cities and towns. A road map can also show
you which are the main highways and which are small country
roads.
Topographic Map of Salt
Lake City Region
This topographic map shows a small
area of Salt Lake City and the nearby mountains. Topographic
maps use contour lines to show elevation (height above sea
level). Contour lines join points of equal elevation above a
specified reference, such as sea level. Think of a contour
line as an imaginary line on the ground that takes any path
necessary to maintain constant elevation. Using the legend
for this map, you can locate school, churches, and railroads.
People frequently use topographic maps when hiking. Builders
use topographic maps to figure out where to put buildings and
roads. There's a topographic map like this for every part of
the United States, including one for where you live.
Digital Elevation Model
of Salt Lake City Region
Sugar House Quadrangle, Utah.
Three-dimensional drawing, created by USGS from computerized
data.
