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Finally, let's get a sense of the scale. You may be able to guess by looking at the image. How far do you think it is from New Orleans (C) to the end of the delta (A)? Take a guess. This is actually a good exercise for your students. You may find that they have no basis on which to have a sense of the scale. For example, the dendritic patterns in the delta resemble the pattern in a leaf, with the river as the stem. Until your students gain more experience with images, scale may be very confusing for them. So, this is worth a little effort. Ask your students to guess how far it is from New Orleans to the delta. Ask them in miles, kilometers or a personalized scale such as "how long would it take to travel the distance in a canoe?"

Presumably, the map has a scale, so you can calculate the corresponding distance on the map from New Orleans to the tip of the delta. You'll find that this distance is about 140 km (90 miles). Therefore, the distance between points A and C on the image is exactly the same: 140 km (90 miles). How long do you think it would take a canoe to travel that distance on the river (actually the river length is a little longer, since the river meanders a bit)?

Teachers' Guide                            Page9.14