Student Activities

Topography

Grade Level:
Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
Subject:
Literacy and Language Arts,Science,Social Studies
State Standards:
SC: Social Studies 3-1.1, 3-1.2, 3-3.3, 8-2.5
      Science: 3-3.6, 5-3.3, 8-3.9

The Battle of Kings Mountain is an excellent example of how landscape and geography can affect the outcome of events. Loyalist battalion of 1,100 men, equipped with the standard issue flintlock muzzle loaders known as the Brown Bess, established their camp on the ridge of Kings Mountain some 150 feet above the surrounding area and awaited the arrival of the enemy. The Patriot force carrying long rifles approached the mountain from its base.
 

Objective(s)

-gain an understanding of a topographic map
-demonstrate their basic understanding of how to read a topographic map
-locate Kings Mountain on a map
-calculate the slope of Kings Mountain
-calculate the area of Patrick Ferguson’s camp
-infer reasons for the outcome of the battle
-provide details to support their inferences
 

Materials

Worksheets

Maps

Quiz

Park Connections

Field trips can be taken in which students will have the opportunity to tour the battlefield site and see first hand the topography of the battlefield.

Vocabulary

Appalachian Mountains
geography
topography
topographic map
elevation
contour lines
contour intervals
relief
Inner Coastal Plain 
Blue Ridge 
Outer Coastal Plain 
Coastal Plain 
Sand Hills 
Piedmont

Lesson Plans

Last updated: March 8, 2019