Activity

LIDAR: Mapping with Lasers

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This LIDAR: Mapping with Lasers activity also includes:

We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using distance, rate, and time.

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CCSS: Adaptable
NGSS: Adaptable
Instructional Ideas
  • Invite a professional surveyor to come and talk to the class about using the technology in the field
  • Make the project more challenging by adding more buildings to the model area
Classroom Considerations
  • Set up stations and group students if you have plenty of space and laser measurers
  • Incorporate a discussion of distance-rate-time into the activity for younger pupils that have not yet learned this formula
Pros
  • The teacher's guide is organized, thorough, and extremely helpful
  • The lesson is easy to modify for a range of ages and learning abilities
  • Printable materials and images, located in the teacher's guide, make the experiment easy to execute
Cons
  • None
Common Core