Profiles must also be accurate in the distance along which the elevation change takes place. The change in elevation represented on a topographic map can be used to generate an accurate profile of the landscape in question. Show the students a profile generated by the teacher. Students should be able to state whether the contour lines are close together or far apart. Have students determine stream flow direction from a topographic map.
Students choose easiest route for a hiking path based on topographic profile alone.
T.L. Buck Buchanan, Patti Harrison, Don Samuelson, John Usher, and Don Wilson.