Students Create Their Own Ice Age Hiking Trail

Teachers across Wisconsin are using an exciting new lesson plan about the Ice Age Trail. Students in grades 6 through 12 get to design their own hiking paths using real maps. The lesson teaches students about glaciers, geography, and how trails connect people to nature. It takes about 75 minutes to complete and covers many school subjects at once.

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail stretches for 1,200 miles across Wisconsin. Glaciers shaped this land more than 12,000 years ago, leaving behind hills, lakes, and valleys. Today, people can hike on parts of the trail to see these ancient formations. However, more than 500 miles of the trail still need to be built. This lesson helps students understand why completing the trail is so challenging.

Students begin by looking at photographs from different parts of the Ice Age Trail. Working in small groups, they discuss what they see in the pictures. Many students have never seen landscapes shaped by glaciers before. The photos show hikers walking through forests, past lakes, and over hills that glaciers created long ago.

The main activity uses a special map called a topographic map. These maps show the height and shape of the land using curved lines called contours. Students examine both finished and unfinished sections of the trail on their maps. Then they draw their own path from Point A to Point B, trying to create the most interesting route possible.

After drawing their trails, students measure each section using the map's scale. They calculate the total distance of their hiking path in kilometers. Finally, students compare their designs to the actual Ice Age Trail route. They discuss what makes their trail different from the real one and which version might be better for hikers.