I would like to make a relief map with my students of Central America and Mexico. I am looking for some good suggestions for doing this. Something colorful and easy.
How about using sugar cookie dough? The students create a map using cookie dough and then decorate it with any item they bring in to create the physical features. This would include the icing.
I do relief maps of California with my fourth graders. We used strips of white tissue paper dipped in liquid starch. The kids "build up" the mountainous regions and form the ridges with their fingers. When dry, we painted them. It turns out great!
Something I remember doing way back when I was in school-paper mache on a piece of cardboard and then paint when dry. They turned out very colorful and were a lot of fun.
I teach 4th grade in California. We make relief maps using a product called celluclay - you just add water and it makes a paper mache which is easy to use and dries in a couple of days. We make our maps in the bottom of unused pizza boxes. After the celluclay dries (put books on the closed boxes so they don't warp) we color a paper map to glue on the inside top cover of the pizza box - then we paint the celluclay the same colors. The paper map includes a map key so the regions of CA are identified. Our last step is to make decorate the outside cover and sides of the pizza box. It's a great project, the students learn a lot and love doing it!
P.S. You can probably find celluclay at your local crafts store.
I would like more information on making the relief map. I teach thrid grade and we are finishing up our map study. I have never made this type of map before but am very interested in its learning aspects. Thank you
When I was young and had a similar project to do for a class assignment, my Mom made a salt dough that was like playdough. It dried fairly quickly and was very easy to paint with bright colors. I have since used it with 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. It was as much fun to use as a teacher as it had been for me when I was a stuent. It was also quite inexpensive as I only used flour, water, and salt. A playdough recipe is all you need, and you can make as much or as little as you need.
Do you have the exact recipe? I've been given the duty of bringing in brown dough for the 4th graders' relief map of VA and we can't find a good way to make brown. Any ideas? Email to cefoye@aol.com ... pretty please asap! Thanks!!!
Good Morning,
I am replying to your posting in search of the instructions for doing this activity and the materials that I would need. If you could pass this information to me I would be greatful.
Any ideas for making a relief map that is more permanent - maybe hardens as a lightweight plastic quality ? Or how could you make a mold if you wanted to make a few of the same map. thanks.
if you need a recipe for salt dough, it is super easy. 2 cups flour one cup salt and one cup water. when mixing it for a class I usually do it in 3 cups salt and water and 6 cups flour. I mix the flour and the salt first and then mix in the water with my hands. it is a bit messy but really easy. if it is too sticky just add a little more flour. Also, it lasts for about a week if you keep it refrigerated and sealed in a plastic bag.
Thanks Stevent. I take it this is easy to paint?
Also, were all these projects done in class or as at home assignments? Just curious as to how I should approach it with third graders.
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11-05-2005, 06:00 PM
