Landform Project

When I was in third grade, we learned about North Dakota in our social studies class. One of my favorite days of third grade was the day when our teacher gave us each a cardboard piece cut in the shape of North Dakota and a big bowl of salt dough. We were learning the geographical regions and landforms of the state, and we used the salt dough to make a topographical map. I still remember rolling out my dough super thin to make the fertile Red River Valley in the east (painted green), shaping the dough into lumpy hills for the rolling plains in the central part where we lived (painted yellow) and then really having fun making the rough Badlands in the west (painted brown). Obviously the project worked, because at age 42 I can still remember the geographical regions of North Dakota so clearly in my head!

Later, in high school geography, our teacher embarked on a collective project that was a little more sophisticated version of third grade when she assigned everyone a European country (or group of countries) to create a clay topographical map. All the countries fit together on a display table to make a continent that was viewed at one of our school concerts. I made Switzerland. The Alps were a lot of fun.

I have had fond experiences with salt dough topographical maps. You can only imagine how thrilled I was when Mr. Trouble on Feet came home with a topographical map assignment that involved salt dough! He was excited. I was equally happy! When the Devious Snail found out what we were working on, even he wanted to make one, and he did (although it isn’t finished yet because the clay is still drying weeks later).

Mr. Trouble on Feet needed to create a topographical display that incorporated at least six different landforms and showed where three cities were likely to develop in his fantasy land. He made a volcano, glacier, a peninsula, a bay, ocean, rivers, a waterfall, a plains, mountains and a valley, an island and other wonderful goodness. He loved this project and I loved that he loved it. He really is a hands on learner. We made the first part over one weekend and then painted the project the next weekend before it went to school for display. The final version had little toothpick flags labeling everything, but I didn’t manage to get a picture of that part before it left for school.