Education Technology


JASON: Topographic Maps - What can they tell us?

Activity Overview

Rainforests at the Crossroads: Explore the topographic map of Barro Colorado Island (BCI); find the elevations of different locations and how far apart they are. Also determine the steepness of the land by observing the contour lines on the map.

Before the Activity

See the attached teacher document (pdf file) for notes and guidelines for this activity.

Print and copy the attached activity document and research article (pdf files) for your class. The research article is in the during the activity section below.

During the Activity

Students will:

  • Use a TI-73 Explorer™ and a topographic map of BCI to explore information about actual land features from a map


  • Directions
  • Distribute the activity document and research article to your class
  • Read and discuss the research article
  • Follow the activity procedures outlined in the student document
  • After the Activity

  • Students complete the data analysis section of the activity
  • Discuss the results of the data analysis with your students