EXPLORING THE MINNESOTA AND SOUTH DAKOTA ATLAS
The purpose of this exercise is to introduce the Atlas of Minnesota and the Atlas of South Dakota. These atlases will be used frequently throughout the class.
MINNESOTA ATLAS
-Draw the symbols used to represent the following.
Power line______
Rapids ______
Parks ______
Campgrounds ______
Unimproved roads ______
-What do the following abbreviations represent?
SWMA ______
BWCA ______
BDY______
TR______
TWP______
-Approximately how many square miles per atlas page? (READ OR CALCULATE)
-One inch on each map represents about how many Miles? Kilometers?
-What are “Unique Natural Features or Areas”
-Locate the campus in the Atlas.
-What page is it on?
-What are the letter/number coordinates?
-What is the approximate Latitude and Longitude of the Campus?
-What is the contour interval for the atlas
-What is the representative ratio for the atlas maps?
-What does this ratio mean?
-Briefly describe the pattern of roads on the following pages. (Page 22 Page 56 Page 87)
-What does the green shading represent?
Page 42 - Browns Valley is the watershed between what north flowing river to Canada and what south flowing river to the Twin Cites?
(LOOK AT THE ATLAS PAGES ABOVE AND BELOW BROWNS VALLEY AND THE OVERVIEW MAP OF MINNESOTA)
Page 63
-What counties can be found?
-Name a state forest that is present?
-What National Forest is present?
-What are the dashed red lines?
-What do the patterns of horizontal blue dashed lines represent?
-Some road numbers are surrounded by squares, others by ovals. Why?
Locate the following towns and highways in the atlas and draw the route on the Minnesota map.
Hwy 95 – Cambridge, Princeton
Hwy 23 – St Cloud, Paynesville, Willmar, Clara City
Hwy 7 – Montevideo
Hwy 212 - Dawson
SOUTH DAKOTA ATLAS
-What is the contour interval for the atlas
-What is the representative ratio for the atlas maps?
Answer the following questions and draw the route on the South Dakota map.
Page 35 - G7 The rivers are running down the steep slope of the Coteau Des Prairie.
What is this…(check the Unique Natural Features)?
G6 On the north side of Hwy 212, this is where will we stop for lunch…what is the name?
Page 32 - G4 What river will we cross while on Hwy 212?
Page 43 - C7 The town and township are the name of a major ridge to the south, what is the name?
What highway will we be on that heads west toward Pierre?
Page 41 - E9 We will be heading south on what major highway?
What river are we crossing?
What is ‘up river’ from Pierre approximately 5 miles under Hwy 204?
What does it create?
What is the solid green area we will be driving through in the SE corner of the page?
Page 53 - C6 We will be stopping here for Supper…what town? What Interstate?
Page 51 - B7 We will turn south and drive to E7 where we will camp.
What road, and what two National Areas will we drive through?
What is the name of the Campground we are staying at in Interior?
What river is the border between these National Areas and the Pine Ridge Reservation?
Running between Interior and Kadoka
is a solid thin red line and a black line with hatch marks across it.
What do these represent?
What is the elevation of Flat top Butte (you will climb to the top)
Page 50 - D2 We will be heading west from interior and stopping in this town.
What highway and town?
C1 What river will we cross?
Page 49 - C10 What Buttes will we stop near?
A7 We will stop at a museum at this School …what is the school’s name?
What highway will we take to Hermosa?
Just south of Hermosa, what highway will we take to drive through Custer State Park?
About 15 miles East of Fairburn what two draws are near French Creek Campground?
Page 48 - E5 We will be staying at 4815…what is the name of this campground?
G5 What cave will we visit?
I5 What Unique Natural Feature will we visit in Hot Springs?
A4 Near what town will we pan for gold?
C5 What Peak will we climb that is the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains?
Page 60 - B5 What Springs and Falls with the same name will we visit?