The Perfect Interdisciplinary Subject
Surveying is the perfect interdisciplinary subject as it incorporates math, science, and history at any level. For math, the possibilities range from teaching numbers by pacing, teaching fractions by drawing the rectangular system upon a state or US. The US Rectangular system is a system of 6 miles squared boxes in a quadrant system with each 36 mile box then divided into 36 one mile square sections. For more advanced math students, students can recreate maps based off complex geometry. For science, surveyors record topography, waterways, vegetation, animal life, and everything within the land. For history, teachers can use surveying to examine manifest destiny as footnotes of popular Americans to recreating life in an area. All of these can be combined to form an interdisciplinary unit ranging from recreating the Prairie Land based off original surveys to surveying the school. |
Social Studies Lesson Plans For High SchoolersHistorical Lesson on George Washington the Land Surveyor- This lesson uses George Washington's land surveys to examine not only the man but the importance of surveying in early American history.
Thomas Lincoln's Move to Indiana- A lesson plan examining the reasons behind Lincoln's move to Indiana, but more importantly, this examines why everyone moved and the role surveying played. One Day Lesson Plan on USGS Maps And History of Surveying- This lesson plan is a short lesson on the USGS Math Lesson Plans For High Schoolers A Detailed List of Lesson Plans From Colorado State University- These lesson plans, while complex, detail the math needed to create surveys. The site is a resource center for Agricultural Education. Interdisciplinary Lesson Plans For High Schoolers Mountain Surveying and the Classroom- A rather complex but thoroughly interesting unit on building and using surveying instruments out of common hardware store items. Credit to Lynn Melton for creating the unit plan. Describe Your School Yard- A lesson plan having students survey their schoolyard. Good for elementary and junior high, it incorporates math and geography. General Surveying Southern Illinois Surveying Course PowerPoint This is a complete PowerPoint presentation on the history of surveying and what surveyors do. |
Coming Soon...
Surveying Lesson Plans
Elementary || Middle School || High School
Surveying the solar system lesson plan: This lesson is good for all students. The lesson is for science or math teachers. It covers how to lay out our solar system using chains and a transit. The museum can supply the chain and the transit. Really all that is needed is a rope that is 66 feet and a compass or telescope. Click the previous link or this link.
Eyeing the baseball diamond/square with a surveyor's eye Lesson Plan: This lesson plan is a blog post about the relationship between surveying and baseball. The link is http://nationalmuseumofsurveying.blogspot.com/2011/08/measuring-base-paths-and-lore-of.html The basic lesson plan is to have students lay out with extreme accuracy the base paths and the field. You can teach students the difference between how far the ball traveled in terms of a surveyor's tape and it's actual trajectory.
For advanced students, an upcoming lesson plan on drawing a plat map based off field notes.
Surveying the solar system lesson plan: This lesson is good for all students. The lesson is for science or math teachers. It covers how to lay out our solar system using chains and a transit. The museum can supply the chain and the transit. Really all that is needed is a rope that is 66 feet and a compass or telescope. Click the previous link or this link.
Eyeing the baseball diamond/square with a surveyor's eye Lesson Plan: This lesson plan is a blog post about the relationship between surveying and baseball. The link is http://nationalmuseumofsurveying.blogspot.com/2011/08/measuring-base-paths-and-lore-of.html The basic lesson plan is to have students lay out with extreme accuracy the base paths and the field. You can teach students the difference between how far the ball traveled in terms of a surveyor's tape and it's actual trajectory.
For advanced students, an upcoming lesson plan on drawing a plat map based off field notes.
Surveying Obstacle Course
With the help of Robert Morris University, the National Museum of
Surveying will lay out surveying courses, and in the spring and summer,
the museum will host surveying educational events.
