SALT DOUGH LANDFORMS

Mary Ann Hanlin

Preview of Main Ideas

Students create salt dough using math-measuring skills. The students use the salt dough patterns to recognize landforms and create landforms using visual and/or auditory directions.

Connection with the Curriculum

This activity may be used in geography classes or in any other class where appropriate.

Teaching Level: 5-8 (This lesson can be adapted to other grade levels.)

Objectives Classification Outline (Also see objectives classification matrix below.)

Objective #1: The student will be able to identify major types of landforms.

Essential Element: Places and Regions.

Standard #4: The physical and human characteristics of places.

Knowledge Statement #1: How different physical processes shape places.

Skill Set #3: Organizing geographic information.

Skill #1: Prepare various forms of maps as a means of organizing geographic information.

Theme: Place.

Materials

1.      One 12" x 18" sheet of brown construction paper and one 12" x 18" sheet of blue construction paper for each working group.

2.      Two cups flour and one cup salt and sufficient water for each working group.

3.      Mixing bowl for each group (ice cream or 3lb. Butter bowl).

4.      One measuring cup for each three or four groups.

5.      Newspapers.

6.      Paper towels.

Suggestions for Teaching the Lesson

Opening the Lesson

The students and teacher need to have discussed the meanings of the terms mountain, hill, plain, plateau, tableland, foothills, coastline, peninsula, peak, mountain ridge, valley, mountain chain, and any other terms not here mentioned that need to be used.

Developing the Lesson

1.      Have students define terms.

2.      Discuss with students the meanings of terms.

3.      Direct students on mixing dough:

2 c. flour

1 c. salt

Mix flour and salt before adding water. Enough water is added to create dough that is not too sticky or too glossy. If dough is sticky, add small amount of flour until correct consistency is achieved.

Alternate recipe:

1 c. flour

2 c. salt

Water as needed and proceed with directions.

4.      When dough is correct consistency, place 3/4 of mixture on large brown construction paper.

5.      Spread dough out with out making it too smooth.

6.      After smoothed out, place blue construction paper on top of smoothed dough.

7.      Carefully flip the three layers until the blue paper is on the bottom.

8.      Carefully peel away the brown paper.

9.      Have students begin to identify landforms they recognize.

10.  Have each student in each group create foothills, mountains, valleys, etc., on dough map from remaining 1/4 of dough.

11.  Discuss and/or list and point out each landform.

12.  Have students in each group move from table to table as the group "owners" of each map point out their landforms.

13.  Maps may be saved. If this is desired, it should be transferred to stiff backing such as cardboard or wood.

Extending the Lesson

1.      This dough can be used for other creative projects.

2.      Cookie cutter shapes of U.S., continents, etc., can be used to create small dimensional maps for each student. Look for the shapes at your local hobby store or http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/cooky/states.htm

Assessing Student Learning

Students are called to the teacher on an individual basis and asked to identify each of the items on his or her salt dough creation. This list of terms would have been determined in advance.

Acknowledgements

This recipe and idea were presented by Mike Lockett during a Social Studies Workshop and is used with his permission.

GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS CLASSIFICATION MATRIX – GRADES           5-8   

Title: Salt Dough Landforms          Author:     Mary Ann Hanlin

Note:  See also Objectives Classification Outline in the lesson.

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