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syo_astro wrote:

nivebala wrote:

zyzzyva980 wrote:I would suggest simply using the topographic maps provided online by USGS and other services without printing them out. You would still be able to do everything you'd need to do to practice (identifying symbols and such) without having to actually spend money. To print them out you'd need a printer capable of printing out something that large, and I'd expect those to be tough to find. So I'd just try to get access to a computer where you can study the USGS topographic maps online as much possible.

The reason we wanted to print out the map was to measure distances between locations. Is there a way we can do this online?

I guess if you don't mind touching your computer screen you could use the scales on maps along with a ruler/piece of paper?

That's right, and also remember that distance works the same everywhere- you can use any sort of map with a scale to practice distance. I'm sure you have a highway map somewhere, for example.

zyzzyva980 wrote:I would suggest simply using the topographic maps provided online by USGS and other services without printing them out. You would still be able to do everything you'd need to do to practice (identifying symbols and such) without having to actually spend money. To print them out you'd need a printer capable of printing out something that large, and I'd expect those to be tough to find. So I'd just try to get access to a computer where you can study the USGS topographic maps online as much possible.

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Hi All,

It's our first road scholar competition and I have the following questions..

1. I am assuming the test to be stapled. May i know if we can 'take off the staples so the team can split up the papers and work on them and put the answer on the final answer sheet?

2. Are they allowed to have any scratch paper if they put it in a binder paper so they can do their math there?

Tks,
magtse

magtse wrote:Hi All,

It's our first road scholar competition and I have the following questions..

1. I am assuming the test to be stapled. May i know if we can 'take off the staples so the team can split up the papers and work on them and put the answer on the final answer sheet?

2. Are they allowed to have any scratch paper if they put it in a binder paper so they can do their math there?

Tks,
magtse

1. It depends on the supervisor. Usually, they let you, but asking first is always a good idea.

2. Yes, you're allowed to. RS lets you bring a whole bunch of stuff, anyways.

magtse wrote:Hi All,

It's our first road scholar competition and I have the following questions..

1. I am assuming the test to be stapled. May i know if we can 'take off the staples so the team can split up the papers and work on them and put the answer on the final answer sheet?

2. Are they allowed to have any scratch paper if they put it in a binder paper so they can do their math there?

Tks,
magtse

1. Yes, you are allowed to split the test. I would strongly recommend you do this because Road Scholar tests are always long.
2. Yes

My advice to anyone new doing this event is to have one person work on the topographic map/story portion of the test while the other person does the student drawn map. For your notes, make sure you have the USGS symbols sheet.

The combination that we found to work better than that was to have one person work exclusively with topographic maps and one person work exclusively with highway maps. That way, each was able to study their portion more in-depth, and, unless the tests have dramatically changed since I did the event (oh so long ago) to diminish the highway map portion, the two should be about even.

Can someone explain UTM, azimuths, and PLSS to me? I just don't get it.

JonnyL wrote:Can someone explain UTM, azimuths, and PLSS to me? I just don't get it.

Have you taken a look at the wiki?
http://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Road_Scholar

It does cover stuff on UTM, azimuth, and PLSS (at least in summary). I have no idea how PLSS works since I don't think it even exists in NYS >.<.

For UTM, I would recommend going on youtube to find videos, there's a few good websites online from various sources, though. It's the Universal Transverse Mercator system. It's a map projection that approximates a grid and turns the world into multiple 6 degree zones. You usually find it on quadrangles, and you can use its system of easting and northing (remember, read right, read up, that's how you write your coordinates) to locate points on maps. You can also use it to calculate distance and bearing/azimuth between points.

Azimuth (which is related to bearing) just tells you an angle relative to north you go from one point to view another. There's better summaries online I'd bet you could find.

Hope that helps!

JonnyL wrote:Can someone explain UTM, azimuths, and PLSS to me? I just don't get it.

PLSS stands for Public Land Survey System. And syo is right, its starting point is in East Liverpool Ohio, and yes, I have been there. It is a way to organize parcels of land, and really isn't way too significant in the modern age. An area, designated by state, is given a set of axes. x is the base line, y is the principal meridian. The axes are then given units of Range and Township, respectively, and each is six miles long. Each sector divided by one unit of T and R is 36 sq. mi., therefore. On the map drawing which is required for most tests, one of these square miles is what you are drawing, labeled 1-36.

What is a map sector?