The module was designed for use by groups consisting of 2—4 students to encourage discussion of ideas and interpretation of images, movies, and answers.

The full module was originally developed for use in an undergraduate geology summer class and allotted 2-3 hours for completion. However, the menu-driven design of the module allows each section to be covered in separate 30- 45 minute segments.

• Students will be able to define contour lines and recognize that these represent a continuous elevation along a horizontal path.
• Students will be able to calculate changes in elevation between contour lines.
• Students will be able to explain the relationship between the spacing of contours and the slope of the landscape.
• Students will be able to describe landforms with enough clarity and accuracy to have another student imagine the landform.
• Students will be able to explain the correlation between landform shapes and shapes of contour lines (e.g., valleys are represented)

• Develop student map reading skills
• Develop 3-D visualization skills

This learning module demonstrates how topographic maps depict elevation differences and the shape of a landscape by utilizing 3-D visualizations. 2-D topographic maps are paired with 3-D visualizations of these maps, complete with interactive capabilities that allow the learner to rotate or tilt the visualization in order to gain different perspectives. Other animated features include sequential vertical slicing of a topographic cube and flooding of 3-D rendered surfaces. The goal is for the student to be able to read this type of map and easily recognize the surface features the map represents.

This module is a series of visualizations set within a lesson activity that leads the student on an exploration of how 2-D topographic maps depict the 3-D character of a landscape surface. The learner embarks on a guided tour of 3-D landscapes, yet sets the pace of the adventure and is free to move backward and forward on the journey. Features explained and depicted include contour lines, cliffs, hills, valleys, and profiles.

This visualization is part of a curriculum developed by Steve Reynolds, geology professor at Arizona State University. His website contains a variety of 3-D perspectives, color photographs, and information regarding the Geology of Arizona, Landscapes of the Southwest, structural geology, and science-education reform.

The Hidden Earth: Visualization of Geologic Features and their Subsurface Geometry, a downloadable pdf also found on Steve Reynold's website, reports on assessment of learning with the 'Visualizing Topography' module. This 48-page manuscript (Piburn, et al., unpublished) was presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, New Orleans, LA, 2002.

Stephen J. Reynolds: Arizona Geology. (more info) is the homepage of Stephen J. Reynolds that includes numerous geoscience visualizations, including the Visualizing Topography activity highlighted here.