Contours and Geographical Skills

How the height and shape of the land is shown on a map.

Key words that can be used to describe the shape of the land..

Shape your clay into the following landforms.

• A mountain

A peak.

A Ridge

A valley.

A depression

A plateau

A cliff

• Plain• Valley• Hill• Mountain• Ridge• Depression• Plateau• Cliff• Lake• Island

• Land lying below the general ground level

• An area water surrounded by land

• Fairly even low lying land

• A steep, nearly vertical, rocky slope

• Land surrounded by water

• High land with a fairly even top

• Very high land, often with peaks

• Low land between hills or mountains, often containing a river.

• High piece of land, but lower than a mountain.

• A long edge along a mountain top.

Using the words shown below, add annotated labels to your diagram of topographic features.

• Plain, Valley, Hill, Mountain, Ridge, Depression, Plateau, Cliff, Lake, Island

• Then stick your diagram in your book.

Please answer the following questions in your book.

1. The Earths surface is not smooth. Explain what this means by using the word Topography.

2. What distinguishes topographic maps from other types of maps.

On your Wellington Map see if you can find and label (using the Post-It notes) the following topographic features.

Use the contour lines to find these features.

Remember – the closer together the lines the steeper the slope.

• A Valley• A ridge• A Cliff• A Peak• A Lake• A River