Title:
Topography of Nepal’s Mt. Everest and the Seti River Canyon
Author:
Madeleine Jones
Middle School Science Teacher, Southgate Community Schools,
Southgate, Michigan
Grades:
5,6,7,8
Subjects:
Earth Science, Social Studies/Maps
Time Required:
Four 50-minute blocks to be used individually or as a whole
Objectives:
Students will use map-reading skills to explore the geologic shapes
of Mt. Everest and the Seti Nadi Canyon in Nepal.
Benchmarks:
Science Benchmarks:
V.1.MS.1
Describe and identify surface features using maps.
V.1.MS.3
Explain how rocks are broken down, how soil is formed
and how surface features change.
Social Studies Benchmarks:
II.4.MS.2
V.1.MS.2
Materials Required:
Locate and describe major cultural, economic, political and
environmental features and the processes that created them.
Use traditional and electronic means to organize social
science information and to make maps, graphs, and tables.
World map showing mountain ranges of the world, pencil,
copies of the handouts for each student for each lesson
Procedures:
Activity I:
1. Discuss the landform features of a mountain.
2. Identify mountain ranges of the United States, and North and South
America.
3. Have students search the world for mountains and mountain ranges.
4. Discuss elevation measurements and the mountain peak heights.
5. Using handout #1, The Five Highest Peaks on Earth, discuss the
chart and locate peaks on the world map. Have students answer
questions using the chart for information.
Activity II:
1. Review vocabulary of mountain, mountain range, base, peak,
elevation, sea level.
2. Pass out copies of handout #2, Topography of Mount Everest, to
students.
3. Discuss elevation and the triangle peak symbol. Ask students to locate
Mount Everest (also called Sagarmatha in Nepali and Chomo Lungma
in Tibetan), peak Imja Tse, peak Nuptse. Compare elevations. Name
and locate other peaks.
4. Identify glaciers. Review the formation and movement information
about glaciers.
5. Identify the contour lines on the map.
6. Locate the contour line marked 5500 m. Have students count the
contour lines to a nearby elevation labeled peak to find the contour
interval. (100 m)
7. Discuss other symbols found on the map and in the key.
8. Locate the lodge at Pheriche. Have students mark the trail from
Pheriche to Lobuche. Calculate increase in elevation.
9. Continue marking the trek route to the base camp. Calculate the
elevation increase. (Use the contour line for base camp elevation.)
10. Ask student partner groups to discuss possible routes to the top of Mt.
Everest. Remind students that the closer the contour lines are to each
other, the steeper the slope.
11. Mark the decided upon route on the maps. Ask groups to share their
ideas.
12. Pass out handout #3, Base Camp to the Summit.
13. Have students locate Nuptse, Lhotse, and Khumbu Glacier on both
maps.
14. Point out the dip between Mt. Everest and Lhotse on the photo and the
South Col elevation on the topographical map.
15. Ask groups to compare their route with the most popular trekking
route on the South side of Mt. Everest.
16. Have students calculate the total elevation increase from Pheriche to
the top.
17. Discuss lack of oxygen (one third less than at sea level) and frigid
temperature ( –36 C to –60 C in January to –19 C in July).
18. If time, have students look at www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest for a
study on trekkers and their oxygen levels as they climb from the base
camp to the summit.
Activity III:
1. Review vocabulary words: contour lines, contour intervals, steepness.
2. Go back to the world map and look at the whole Himalayan Mountain
Range.
3. Pass out handout #4 of the Annapurna Mountains. Explain that these are
found north of the city of Pokhara and are also used as trekking
mountains.
4. Look at the summit heights of Machhapuchre, Annapurna South,
Annapurna III and Hhinehull.
5. Discuss why Machhapuchre looks taller that Annapurna III but is actually
shorter.
6. Point out the Seti River in the foreground of handout #4. Ask students to
explain how the mountain melt water might reach the river.
7. Pass out handout #5, Northern Seti River. Locate the Seti River.
8. Explain the relationship between the photograph and the topographical
map both of which show the same areas of the Seti River and the
surrounding hills. Ask students to compare the two sheets and pick out
matching areas.
9. Direct attention to the topo map. Have students identify tributaries that
flow into the Seti River. Discuss the flow of water from high areas to
lower areas. Review erosion and deposition factors, such as speed of
water, elevation drop, and type of sediment.
10. Ask students to decide which way the Seti River current is flowing based
on elevation decrease and mark the river with an arrow to show current
direction.
11. Locate Sarangkot and note elevation. Have students identify other high
points on the hillsides surrounding the Seti River and the Yangdi Khola.
12. Have students calculate the contour interval by counting the lines between
the known elevations. (20m)
13. Ask students to decide which direction the rain water will flow down the
sides of the hills based on elevation decrease. Mark the direction of runoff
with arrows.
14. Have students look closely at the sides of the hills for markings showing
creek or stream formation leading to the river basin. Ask the students to
make an inference about the erosion along the creeks and the shape of the
hillside (contour lines).
Activity IV:
1. Review the meaning and use of vocabulary words: contour line, contour
interval, elevation, and run-off.
2. Discuss the use of topographical maps to show elevation change. Point out
that we typically think of elevation increases and peak heights when
looking at these kinds of maps. Ask students to think of a landform that
would be the opposite of peak elevation increase.
3. Have students name famous canyons or areas where rivers or glaciers have
dug out or eroded the earth to cause elevation decrease such as the Grand
Canyon, Niagara Falls, and the Great Lakes.
4. Explain that there are beautiful canyons, formed by thousands of years of
erosion, all over the world. One major river in Nepal is the Seti River
which flows from the Annapurna Mountains through the city of Pokhara.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Pass out copies of handout # 6, Seti River.
Locate the Seti River (Seti Nadi) and the Seti Canyon.
Ask students to name other places of interest around the Seti River.
Have students notice the elevation of the contour lines shown on the map
Have students calculate the contour interval by counting the lines between
the known elevations. (20m)
10. Review the idea of water flowing from high areas to lower areas. Take out
handout #5 from Day 3. Have students compare the Seti River elevations
on the two maps. Ask students to decide which map shows an up stream
portion of the Seti River and which map shows a downstream portion.
11. Locate Nirmal Pokhari and decide how rainwater will flow down the sides
of the hill based on elevation decrease.
12. Have students decide which way the Seti River current is flowing based on
elevation decrease. Mark the river with an arrow. Repeat with the Phusre
Khola.
13. Ask students what materials might be in the runoff from the surrounding
areas of the Seti River and how the Nepali people might be using the
water.
14. Review the information topographic maps contain and the inferences we
can make by using the data on the map.
Assessment: Activity IV could be used as an assessment piece. Introduce the lesson and
continue class discussion and participation to step #8. Students could individually mark
the following on their maps and write full sentence answers on a separate sheet of paper.






What is the contour interval on this map?
Look at map #5 from yesterday. Compare the elevations of the Seti River
with map #6 from today. Write “upstream” on the map that shows the
upstream area of the Seti River. Write “downstream” on the map that shows
the lower portion of the river.
Draw arrows on Nirmal Pokhari showing how rainwater will flow down the
sides of the hill.
Draw arrows showing the water flow of the Seti River on map #6.
Look at the map. Answer the questions in full sentences.
What harmful materials might go into the runoff after a rain storm?
How are the Nepali people using the river’s current to their benefit?
Explain what makes the data on topographic maps useful.
Enrichment: Students could build models of selected areas of the topographical
maps. These models could be made of sand and dirt or they could be accurate
cardboard layers representing contour intervals. Students could construct accurate
profiles of selected hills and peaks using the contour lines from the topo maps.
Students could use the web to further research Mr. Everest and the Annapurna
Range.
Resources:
Pokhara Valley Topographic Map Nepal Maps
Khumbu Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha National Park) Mandala Maps
Everest Summit of Achievement by Stephen Venables
Peakware Mountain Encyclopedia
Nova Online…Everest
Class Exercise and Supplemental Materials #1, #3, and #4 are attached below.
Map Handouts #2, #5, and #6 are available as separate documents on this Website,
due to their large file size (847 KB, 1,533 KB, and 1,232 KB, respectively). Teachers
without high-speed internet access may wish to download those materials in
advance.
Name ____________________________________________
#1
The Himalayan mountain range stretches 1500 miles across the continent of Asia.
This range is home to the highest peaks in world. The word Himalaya actually means
land of snow. The 29,035 ft. Mount Everest is found in the eastern part of the
Himalayan system. Mountain climbers from around the world travel to Nepal to climb
the highest peak on Earth.
Read the chart and answer the questions below.
The Five Highest Peaks on Earth
rank
peak
range
region
elevation in
meters
elevation in
feet
1
Mount Everest
Himalaya
Nepal & Tibet
8,850 m
29,035 ft.
2
K2
Karakoram
Kashmir
8,611 m
28,250 ft.
3
Kanchenjunga
Himalaya
India & Nepal
8,586 m
28,169 ft.
4
Lhotse
Himalaya
Nepal & Tibet
8,516 m
27,920 ft.
5
Makalu I
Himalaya
Nepal & Tibet
8,463 m
27,765 ft.
1. How many meters high is Mount Everest? _______________________
2. Is Kanchenjunga or Makalu I higher? _________________________________
3. How is the list of mountain heights organized? __________________________
________________________________________________________________
.
4. Which mountain is not in the Himalayan Mountain Range? _________________
5. Which countries have sides of Mount Lhotse in their region? _______________
6. Mount McKinley, found in the United States, is 20,320 ft. tall. Why isn’t it listed
on the chart? _____________________________________________________
Find mountains interesting?
Check out this site: Peakware Mountain Encyclopedia at www.peakware.com