Students, once you have finished your assignment on topo maps go ahead and complete the hometown task that is shown below.
Task 1: Your Hometown
Go to TerraServer – USA and request a map by entering your home city name and state in the area labeled Street, City and State
Example: I chose Tallmadge Ohio, because that is where I grew up.
- Record the name and state of the city or town you have selected to research.
- Near the top you should see at least two links to Available Image. One will be an Arial Photo and the other will be a Topo Map.
- Note the dates of each and record them on your handout.
- Click on the Arial Photo.
- Can you locate your street and house? Use the Out or In toggle to zoom to a scale you can see. If your home or street is not there, explain why or why not? (Remember to note the dates of your map.
- Note the Longitude and Latitude of your map and record it on your handout.
- On the top corner of your Aerial Photo, you will see a tab for Topo Map. Click on the Topo Map. The image should shift to a topographic map of your hometown at the same scale. Record the URL of this topographic map.
- Zoom in well enough to see the elevation data of your hometown. Click the large size square just above the zoom toggle to maximize the area you are able to view.
- Determine the scale of your map. Record it as a representative fraction.
- Record the contour interval of your map.
- Write a description of your topographic image that includes the following…
- 3 roads labeled on your map-Name and Direction they travel
- 3 cultural features -Name and Elevation
- 3 water features -Name and Elevation
- 2 land features-Name and Elevation
- A description of the elevation changes a person would encounter if they were to walk across your map from West to East.
Example:
My Family Home
- Tallmadge, Ohio, United States
- URL http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=17&X=577&Y=5688&W=3&qs=%7cTallmadge%7cOhio%7c
- Elevation 1190 feet Northeast of the Tallmadge Traffic Circle
- 81.4098 W Longitude 41.10408 N Latitude
- Map Scale RF=1:12,000
- Date of Aerial Photograph 9/29/2000
- Date of Topo Map 7/1/1994
- My road and family home is located on both maps.
- Contour Interval CI=10 feet (50 feet between index contours)
3 Roads
- Traveling from the Tallmadge Traffic Circle to the Northeast, is Rt. 261 which extends from Tallmadge circle towards Munroe Falls.
- On the south central part of the map is Rt. 76 which goes in a northeasterly (mostly east) direction across the Summit/Portage County Line toward Brimfield.
- Rt. 59 travels in an east-west direction just north of the Cuyahoga River traveling near Kent State University toward the Kent State Airport.
3 cultural features (Ok I did 5…)
- Kent State University Airport Runways 1130 ft. Elevation
- Gravel Sand Clay Pit 1190 ft. Elevation (SW of Tallmadge Circle on Rt. 261) (I had to zoom to see it so feel free to magnify whatever you need.)
- Tallmadge High School 1200 feet. -On Rt 18 east of Tallmadge Traffic Circle
- Tallmadge Cemetary 1100 feet -300 yds south of the Tallmadge Traffic Circle
- Drive-In Theatre 1170 feet -South of Tallmadge Traffic Circle.
3 water features
- Alder Pond 1070 feet -South edge of map near Goodyear park (I used to ice skate there with my sister and mom when I was a little girl)
- Cuyahoga River 990 feet at furthest western extent of map.
- Monroe Park Lake 1052 feet just south of Cuyahoga River. (This was a cool place to swim and hang out when I was in high school)
2 Land Features
- Orchard 2010 feet -West side of Tallmadge HS
- Gravel Pit 1010 feet -Northwest Avenue NW of Overdale Elementary School
Elevation Change Description W-E
- Traveling from west to east across Tallmadge on West Ave., will begin with an elevation of 1100 feet and as the traveler goes east, they will first decend over distance about a half mile to 1020 feet then climb towards the Tallmadge Traffic Circle to 1160 feet. At this point West Avenue becomes East Avenue. East Ave climbs another 40 feet to 1200 feet and then descends 50 feet to 1150 near Indian Hills Park.
Mr. McClung