Getting Geographic: Martha’s Study Corner March 1, 2011 Locating Highest U.S. Elevations Vol. 1: #13

Geography is a data-rich field of study, but long lists of facts and figures can be over- whelming and have little meaning unless they are organized in a way that encourages thoughtful analysis. This activity provides students practice in sorting, organizing, and displaying elevation data in order to learn about the physical landscape of the .

Examining the data

a) Provide students copies of Activity #13

Handout 1. Have students scan the data, of the U.S. is available at: identifying the highest and lowest state elevations education.nationalgegographic.com/education/mapping throughout the United States. Also have them /outline-map/?map=USA]. They should label each locate the state in which you live. Where does state, the highest point, and the elevation. Remind your state fall in terms of elevation? students to include a title, key, and source on their maps. Sorting and organizing the data b) Distribute copies of Activity #13 Handout 2. In d) Provide students quarter-inch graph paper. this handout, the data has been sorted from lowest Divide the class into three groups. to highest state elevation. i. Have the first group plot the elevation data i. Have students evaluate the data to identify as bar graphs from lowest to highest patterns in elevation. In general, where are elevations. the highest elevations? …the lowest ii. Have the second group plot the data as bar elevations? graphs divided according to location east or ii. Can the students make generalizations about west of the Mississippi River. elevation in different regions of the U.S.? iii. Have the third group plot the data as bar iii. Have student re-sort the data according to graphs based on state location, working from states that are east and west of the west to east, and north to south. Mississippi River. What observations can they make based on this organization of the data? e) Have students compare the graphs they have made. How does the presentation of data Displaying the data influence the way we understand information? c) Have students work in pairs to plot the location of the highest elevation in each state. [A blank map Extending the activity View state maps, including elevation, at http://geology.com/state-high-points.shtml .

Activity #13 – Handout 1

Highest Elevations in Each of the 50 States (alphabetical by state)

State: Highest Point Elevation (feet) State: Highest Point Elevation (feet)

Alabama: Cheaha Mt. 2,405 Montana: 12,799 Alaska: Mt. McKinley () 20,320 Nebraska: 5,424 Arizona: 12,633 Nevada: 13,140 Arkansas: Magazine Mt. 2,753 New Hampshire: Mt. Washington 6,288 California: Mt. Whitney 14,494 New Jersey: 1,803 Colorado: Mt. Elbert 14,433 New Mexico: Wheeler Peak 13,161 Connecticut: Mt. Frissell 2,380 New York: Mt. Marcy 5,344 : 448 North Carolina: Mt. Mitchell 6,684 : 345 North Dakota: 3,506 Georgia: 4,784 Ohio: 1,549 Hawaii: 13,796 Oklahoma: 4,973 Idaho: 12,662 Oregon: Mt. Hood 11,239 Illinois: 1,235 : Mt. Davis 3,213 Indiana: Point 1,257 Rhode Island: 812 : 1,670 South Carolina: Sassafras Mt. 3,560 Kansas: Mt. Sunflower 4,039 South Dakota: Harney Peak 7,242 Kentucky: Black Mt. 4,139 Tennessee: 6,643 Louisiana: Driskill Mt. 535 Texas: 8,749 Maine: Mt. Katahdin 5,267 Utah: 13,528 Maryland: Backbone Mt. 3,360 Vermont: Mt. Mansfield 4,393 Massachusetts: Mt. Greylock 3,487 Virginia: Mt. Rogers 5,729 Michigan: Mt. Arvon 1,979 Washington: Mt. Ranier 14,410 : Eagle Mt. 2,301 West Virginia: Spruce Knob 4,861 Mississippi: Woodall Mt. 806 Wisconsin: 1,951 Missouri: Taum Sauk Mt. 1,772 Wyoming: 13,804

Source: http://geology.com/state-high-points.shtml

Activity #13 – Handout 2

Highest Elevations in Each of the 50 States (lowest to highest elevation)

State: Highest Point Elevation (feet) State: Highest Point Elevation (feet)

Florida: Britton Hill 345 Georgia: Brasstown Bald 4,784 Delaware: Ebright Azimuth 448 West Virginia: Spruce Knob 4,861 Louisiana: Driskill Mt. 535 Oklahoma: Black Mesa 4,973 Mississippi: Woodall Mt. 806 Maine: Mt. Katahdin 5,267 Rhode Island: Jerimoth Hill 812 New York: Mt. Marcy 5,344 Illinois: Charles Mound 1,235 Nebraska: Panorama Point 5,424 Indiana: Hoosier Hill Point 1,257 Virginia: Mt. Rogers 5,729 Ohio: Campbell Hill 1,549 New Hampshire: Mt. Washington 6,288 Iowa: Hawkeye Point 1,670 Tennessee: Clingmans Dome 6,643 Missouri: Taum Sauk Mt. 1,772 North Carolina: Mt. Mitchell 6,684 New Jersey: High Point 1,803 South Dakota: Harney Peak 7,242 Wisconsin: Timms Hill 1,951 Texas: Guadalupe Peak 8,749 Michigan: Mt. Arvon 1,979 Oregon: Mt. Hood 11,239 Minnesota: Eagle Mt. 2,301 Arizona: Humphreys Peak 12,633 Connecticut: Mt. Frissell 2,380 Idaho: Borah Peak 12,662 Alabama: Cheaha Mt. 2,405 Montana: Granite Peak 12,799 Arkansas: Magazine Mt. 2,753 Nevada: Boundary Peak 13,140 Pennsylvania: Mt. Davis 3,213 New Mexico: Wheeler Peak 13,161 Maryland: Backbone Mt. 3,360 Utah: Kings Peak 13,528 Massachusetts: Mt. Greylock 3,487 Hawaii: Mauna Kea 13,796 North Dakota: White Butte 3,506 Wyoming: Gannett Peak 13,804 South Carolina: Sassafras Mt. 3,560 Washington: Mt. Ranier 14,410 Kansas: Mt. Sunflower 4,039 Colorado: Mt. Elbert 14,433 Kentucky: Black Mt. 4,139 California: Mt. Whitney 14,494 Vermont: Mt. Mansfield 4,393 Alaska: Mt. McKinley (Denali) 20,320

Source: http://geology.com/state-high-points.shtml