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(GIS) Amazing Corn Maze

Time Frame

4 class periods of 60 minutes each

Group Size

Small Groups

Life Skills

  • Thinking & Reasoning
  • Social & Civic Responsibility

Authors

LESLIE LEWIS

Summary

Students practice the tracking feature of their GPSrs. They can then create a GIS layout of their tracks on a previous fly - over year.


Materials

  • GPS units - At least 1 per 3 or 4 students.
  • Bus for field trip unless you have a corn maze withing walking distance.
  • $ for corn maze
  • GIS software


Background for Teachers

Escalante Elementary is located on the Northwest side of Salt Lake City. We chose to go to the corn Maze in Farmington, Utah. This allowed us to discuss the bench areas clearly visible on the mountains east of the freeway as well as the way that the Wasatch Front is the most populated area of Utah and the reasons for that population distribution.


Student Prior Knowledge

  • How to use the tracking feature of the GPSr.
  • How to create a layout with GIS using a satellite image and GPS points or tracks.


Intended Learning Outcomes

  • Businesses use GPS units and aerial photos to create complicated patterns in the corn to make a maze.
  • The corn is raised and used for cattle to eat...the whole plant.
  • Possible explaination of poulation patterns along the Wasatch Front.
  • Directionality
  • Evidence of Lake Bonneville


Instructional Procedures

We used this for our Halloween party. The price of the visit to the corn maze included donuts, candy and apple cider.

Prepare the students for this celebration field trip.

  • Ask them to look out for evidence of erosion or special features on the East side of the freeway.
  • Ask them to look for freeway signs about cities, mileage, or features of the land. For instance, we wanted them to notice again that the lake is on the west and the mountains on the east with Farmington to the north of Salt Lake.
  • Ask them to listen for ways that technology was used to create the Maze during the talk the Corn Maze personnel give.
  • Ask them to find out what happens to the corn and the stalks when the maze is closed for the year.
  • Enjoy the field trip. When we finished the corn maze, we went to a park in Farmington to play and eat our lunches.
  • In the next day or two have the kids create a layout with their tracks on top of the fly - over image of the corn maze area. In our case, the year of the fly - over the corn maze had an Egyptian theme. The tracks we took were from a Zoo theme. It was interesting to compare and contrast the tracks on the fly - over image.


Created: 05/28/2006
Updated: 02/03/2018
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