Difference between revisions of "The Great Newlands Trigonometrical Survey"

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(Created page with "= Information = <strong>Created By:</strong> Jonny Huck <strong>Currently Used By:</strong> Jonny Huck <strong>Location:</strong> Newlands (Cat Bells) = Instructions = Gat...")
 
 
(8 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
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<strong>Currently Used By:</strong> Jonny Huck
 
<strong>Currently Used By:</strong> Jonny Huck
  
<strong>Location:</strong> Newlands (Cat Bells)
+
<strong>Location:</strong> Newlands Valley (requires transport to Little Town)
  
 
= Instructions =
 
= Instructions =
  
Gather the students outside the front of the centre and give out the equipment. Explain how fundamental mapping skills are to any Geographer (cover GPS accuracy issues!).
+
Get te group on a minibus and transport them to the car park at <b>Little Town</b>.
  
Get the students to work out where they are - get them to orientate the map as part of this, explaning what this is and why it is important.  
+
Give out the equipment (put each person in charge of something that they then have to bring back!) and set off along the path towards Newlands Valley.  
  
Get them on a minibus and transport them to the car park at <b>Little Town</b>.
+
About half way there, stop where you can see the white building and there is space amongst the bracken to set up a tripod. Give them a bit of chat about Triangulation, you can use the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal_Triangulation_of_Great_Britain#/media/File:Clarke_principal_triangulation_of_Britain_1860.jpg Principal Triangulation] image from Wikipedia, and the [https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/maps002~1~1~414811~163832 Lancashire Triangulation] map from the map library to help illustrate this. Show them how to:
 +
* set up the tripod
 +
* mount the automatic level (don't level the automatic level, as we are using it as a theodolite)
 +
* use a mirror compass
 +
* set the automatic level using the compass (take a bearing to an identifiable object with the compass, then sight to the same thing using the level and then rotate the bezel/level to set it)
 +
* use the GPS to work out where they are, understand that they need to add a '3' and a '5' to the easting and northing values respectively
 +
* use the app to get a location
 +
Use the highest point on the white building to get a direction - there are several other buildings in view (including other farms and the Newlands church) for them to practice.
  
Again, get the students to work out where they are - get them to orientate the map as part of this, explaning what this is and why it is important.  
+
Walk them on to the foot bridge, and get them to work out where they are, including orientating the map. Explain about coordinates and how to locate points on the map (which has a 100m grid). While walking, you can chat about the industries that have affected the valley - mining (copper & lead, German miners, Cumberland sausage, graphite in Borrowdale; sheep farming, Herdwick sheep; tourism).
  
Select a student to navigate you to the <b>footbridge</b> near <b>Goldscopes Mine</b>.
+
Explain the task (to plot the course of the stream, they must make a plan, go and do it, and be back at the footbridge with 30 mins for debrief and walk back). Split them into two 'teams' if kit allows and there are enough students. Note that the students can only access the river bank on the East side, so tell them to map this, and to be careful around the large river cliff. They must have a clear plan, including how far should the staff(s) move each time? (100m = c. 70 double paces...) and who is doing which job (operating level, staff, app, marking the result onto the map, radio controller).
  
Demonstrate the use of the automatic levels (we are using them as a theodolite...) and compass and app to do a triangulation.
+
They should set up their 'base stations' each side of the spoil heap (so they can’t see each other) - though the further apart the better - this is important - success is basically directly proportional upon the area of the triangle so make sure that the baseline is nice and wide (at least the full width of the spoil tip)! Walk straight up to the slag, don't loop round the path. Make sure that you are up there to make sure that they do it right - if they mess up the orientation, then the results will be miles off!
  
Challenge them to draw the missing river into the map as accurately as possible, using two "surveyed in" locations (do this yourself with the GPS).
+
When they return, compare their effort to the real map; you can then have a discussion about <b>precision</b> and <b>uncertainty</b> and how these things build up in field work, as well as about how well they worked as a team (invariably they will have set off before really agreeing on a proper plan). Then ask them to measure it (using compass string and grid squares) - lead into a discussion about the <b>Coastline Paradox</b>, and the fact that you cannot really measure the 'length' of a river - it is a function of the scale (in this case, how big the gaps between readings were).
  
<em>JH will add more detail after a recce on the 2021 trip</em>.
+
Leave 30 mins for the debrief (comparison & coastline paradox chat) and to walk back to the van.
 
 
Leave 30 mins to walk back to the van and return to the centre.
 
  
 
= Equipment =
 
= Equipment =
Students:
+
Students (<b>per team</b>, comprising two 'bases', one or two staffs and a controller):
* Compass x 4
+
* Mirror Compass x 2
* Surveying Staff x 4
+
* Surveying Staff x 1-2
* Automatic level & Tripod x 4
+
* Automatic level & Tripod x 2
* Set Square, or other straight edge of some sort x 4
 
 
* Walkie Talkie x 4
 
* Walkie Talkie x 4
* Android mobile phones with waterproof case x 4 (2 will do), with [[https://github.com/jonnyhuck/ | Triangulation app]] installed
+
* GPS receiver x 2
* Pencil x 12 (one each)
+
* Android mobile phone with waterproof case x 1 (with the [https://github.com/jonnyhuck/triangulation-calculator project app] (to handle the triangulation maths)
* A4 Clip board x 12 (one each)
+
* Pencil x 1 (one each)
* [[Media:Student2.pdf|Student Handout]]
+
* A4 Clip board x 1 (one each)
 +
* [[Media:Student2.pdf|Student Handout]] x 1
  
 
Staff require:
 
Staff require:
* GPS receiver x 1
 
 
* [[Media:Staff2.pdf|Staff Handout]] x 1
 
* [[Media:Staff2.pdf|Staff Handout]] x 1
 +
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal_Triangulation_of_Great_Britain#/media/File:Clarke_principal_triangulation_of_Britain_1860.jpg Principal Triangulation image from Wikipedia]
 +
* [https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/maps002~1~1~414811~163832 Lancashire Triangulation map] (can just excerpt the triangulation bit)
  
 
= Handouts =
 
= Handouts =
 
*[[Media:Student2.pdf|Student Handout]]
 
*[[Media:Student2.pdf|Student Handout]]
 
*[[Media:Staff2.pdf|Staff Handout]]
 
*[[Media:Staff2.pdf|Staff Handout]]

Latest revision as of 03:41, 13 September 2023

Information

Created By: Jonny Huck

Currently Used By: Jonny Huck

Location: Newlands Valley (requires transport to Little Town)

Instructions

Get te group on a minibus and transport them to the car park at Little Town.

Give out the equipment (put each person in charge of something that they then have to bring back!) and set off along the path towards Newlands Valley.

About half way there, stop where you can see the white building and there is space amongst the bracken to set up a tripod. Give them a bit of chat about Triangulation, you can use the Principal Triangulation image from Wikipedia, and the Lancashire Triangulation map from the map library to help illustrate this. Show them how to:

  • set up the tripod
  • mount the automatic level (don't level the automatic level, as we are using it as a theodolite)
  • use a mirror compass
  • set the automatic level using the compass (take a bearing to an identifiable object with the compass, then sight to the same thing using the level and then rotate the bezel/level to set it)
  • use the GPS to work out where they are, understand that they need to add a '3' and a '5' to the easting and northing values respectively
  • use the app to get a location

Use the highest point on the white building to get a direction - there are several other buildings in view (including other farms and the Newlands church) for them to practice.

Walk them on to the foot bridge, and get them to work out where they are, including orientating the map. Explain about coordinates and how to locate points on the map (which has a 100m grid). While walking, you can chat about the industries that have affected the valley - mining (copper & lead, German miners, Cumberland sausage, graphite in Borrowdale; sheep farming, Herdwick sheep; tourism).

Explain the task (to plot the course of the stream, they must make a plan, go and do it, and be back at the footbridge with 30 mins for debrief and walk back). Split them into two 'teams' if kit allows and there are enough students. Note that the students can only access the river bank on the East side, so tell them to map this, and to be careful around the large river cliff. They must have a clear plan, including how far should the staff(s) move each time? (100m = c. 70 double paces...) and who is doing which job (operating level, staff, app, marking the result onto the map, radio controller).

They should set up their 'base stations' each side of the spoil heap (so they can’t see each other) - though the further apart the better - this is important - success is basically directly proportional upon the area of the triangle so make sure that the baseline is nice and wide (at least the full width of the spoil tip)! Walk straight up to the slag, don't loop round the path. Make sure that you are up there to make sure that they do it right - if they mess up the orientation, then the results will be miles off!

When they return, compare their effort to the real map; you can then have a discussion about precision and uncertainty and how these things build up in field work, as well as about how well they worked as a team (invariably they will have set off before really agreeing on a proper plan). Then ask them to measure it (using compass string and grid squares) - lead into a discussion about the Coastline Paradox, and the fact that you cannot really measure the 'length' of a river - it is a function of the scale (in this case, how big the gaps between readings were).

Leave 30 mins for the debrief (comparison & coastline paradox chat) and to walk back to the van.

Equipment

Students (per team, comprising two 'bases', one or two staffs and a controller):

  • Mirror Compass x 2
  • Surveying Staff x 1-2
  • Automatic level & Tripod x 2
  • Walkie Talkie x 4
  • GPS receiver x 2
  • Android mobile phone with waterproof case x 1 (with the project app (to handle the triangulation maths)
  • Pencil x 1 (one each)
  • A4 Clip board x 1 (one each)
  • Student Handout x 1

Staff require:

Handouts