1. In groups of 2 to 3, build an environment inside your shoebox that is from an imaginary planet that you create and name. Include several different landscapes possibly including lakes, rivers, mountains, rolling hills, cliffs, valleys, etc. Examples could be using a lid filled with water to represent a lake or using a rock to represent a mountain. Be sure to glue all objects placed in the box to the bottom so they do not shift. Note: Be sure to not let other students see your shoebox environment.
2. Cut a piece of heavy-duty foil that is large enough to fit over the top of your shoebox
3. On the foil, draw a grid that will fit over the top of the box, with a permanent marker. Make each of the grid squares 2 cm by 2 cm and label the columns using letters and the rows using numbers.
4. Secure and tape the foil grid over the top of your shoebox, covering the planet’s environment. Note: Tape the edges of the foil as tightly over the shoebox as possible to keep the foil from sagging and align the grid so that the corner of cell A1 is over the corner of the box.

Take Measurements and Make Predictions

1. Trade boxes with a different group, making sure not to look inside their box.
2. Your mission is to make a map of each other’s environments without looking inside the box.
   
   1. To do this, first measure and record the height of the box.
   2. Then choose a cell on the foil and poke a skewer stick through the foil grid and continue straight down until you hit something. Note: Do not try to look through the hole.
   3. Measure the amount of the skewer stick that is inserted into the box by holding the spot with your fingers where the foil meets the skewer stick and measuring from that point to the end that was inserted.
   4. Subtract the length of the part of the skewer stick that was inserted from the height of the box to give you the elevation of the landscape at that cell.
   5. Find the paper grid cell that correlates with the foil grid cell that you poked (example: “C3”). Record the elevation of the landscape and any other observations that may tell you more about that cell (example: wet, soft, hard, sandy, etc.).
   6. Repeat steps b through e until you have 50 observations completed. Choose your cells wisely because you only have 50 cells to help you determine what the entire surface looks like.
   7. After you have determined the elevations of 50 cells, with a different color pencil or pen, estimate and record on the paper grid what you predict the landscape will look like (elevation and material) for the entire landscape. When you are finished, you should have an elevation recorded in each cell.

Map Your Data

1. Using crayons, markers, and/or pencils, draw a map of the environment on a new grid sheet. Show mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, flatland, etc in the correct cells. Label the heights at significant high points and low points.
2. If available, use Microsoft‚ Excel or a similar spreadsheet program to make a topographical map. Type the numbers on the program’s grid that correlate with the elevation measurement in each cell. Highlight the data you typed in and insert a 3-D surface chart. On Microsoft‚ Excel, once you have a 3-D chart, you may alter the view by clicking on “Chart” at the top of the page and clicking on “3-D View”. You will be able to alter the perspectives that you can view your 3-D map from by clicking on the arrows.

Example of a Graphical 3-D Map

Analyze Your Results

Answer the following questions in your student journal.

1. After you have made at least one map of what you believe the environment to look like, take the foil off the box and compare your map to the actual environment.
2. Write a paragraph describing the similarities and differences in your map(s) and the actual landscape.
3. Write a paragraph about several ways you would change this activity in order to give you a more accurate topographical map.