Drawing a site plan. You will need - graph paper, tracing paper, drawing boards, pencils, rulers, compass, tapemeasures as required (5m and 30m/50m)*

Transcription

1 Drawing a site plan You will need - graph paper, tracing paper, drawing boards, pencils, rulers, compass, tapemeasures as required (5m and 30m/50m)* Step 1 Setting up a baseline*. Ideally, this should have a clear line of sight across the area you want to survey. You could set up the baseline parallel* to the features you want to survey; then you only need to take measurements in one direction and will find it easier to plot on your graph paper. It is also a good idea to set up your baseline against an existing boundary like a fence or a wall. It is also possible to set up your baseline through the features you want to measure. *What if I don t have a tapemeasure long enough? Transform yourself into a human tape-measure! Mark a line on the ground and walk ten steps. Mark another line on the ground where you stop, then measure the distance between the two points. Divide your answer by ten and you ve got the average length of your stride. You can use this to measure your site *Baseline This is the place where you will take all of your measurements from *Parallel A line running alongside the features, in the same direction as them

2 Step 2 Decide on a scale*. You can work out a scale using maths. For example, you could decide that every 1cm on your graph paper will represent 1m of your building. This is called 1:100 (because 1 cm of drawing= 100cm of building). The scale you use will depend on the size of the site you are surveying. If you are doing a big area like your school playground, it is probably best to use a smaller scale to make sure it will all fit on one page careful not to make it too small or it might get fiddly! *Scale Drawing things to scale means drawing them accurately; but at a different size. By drawing things to scale rather than using photographs, archaeologists are more able to compare one building or feature to another. It is also more practical to draw things to scale. If you tried to draw a plan of your school without using a scale, you d need a piece of paper the size of your school!

3 Step 3 Now plot your base-line on your graph paper using the scale.

4 Step 4 Take your first measurement along the baseline, then take your second measurement at right -angles* from your base-line to the feature* you want to measure e.g. the corner of your school or classroom. Now plot the measurement on your graph paper. To check that you are taking your measurements at right-angles you can use the tapeswinging method* You could use the survey symbols below to mark important features like doors and windows. Alternatively your class could make up a key of your own symbols. *Tape-swinging method This is just a simple way of checking that you are taking measurements at proper right angles. Run the tape measure from the feature you re measuring to the baseline and then swing it left to right along the baseline taking measurements as you go. The shortest measurement you get will be the measurement that is at right angles. *Right-angles *Feature When one line is at right angles from another line, it means that it is sticking out at an angle of 90 degrees. The sides of a square are always at right angles to one another This is a distinctive characteristic of a building or a site e.g. a doorway, brickwork or carvings. It can also be natural feature, like a river or a tree, which may also be on your site.

5 Illustrated Glossary of Field Survey Symbols Stones Wall complete Stone wall Wall incomplete Spiral staircase Fence Bank Window with a pane Window without a pane Ditch Doorway without door Doorway with door River/edge of water Stairs Trees

6 Step 5 Take more measurements and start building up your plan. It is always a good idea to take your measurements from the corners of a building or a window.

7 Step 6 If you are measuring something quite far away from your baseline (let s say a tree at the end of the playground) and want to check that your measurements are accurate and at right angles from your base-line try using triangulation.* *Triangulation Measure the distance to the feature from two different points on the base -line. Now place the point of the compass onto the base-line of your plan. Use the two measurements you have made to set the compass and draw two arcs onto the plan. Plotting the place where they cross will mean that you have a more accurate measurement.

8 Step 7 When you think you have measured and recorded all of the most important parts of your site, place your tracing paper on top of your plan and use your measurements to draw your plan. Step 8 To finish, add a point north, a descriptive title, your name and the date

9 Information for Teachers and Curriculum Links Doing a plan of a site is a great way for learners to get out of the classroom and do some hands-on and practical work creating maps and using maths. The beauty of doing a plan is that you can do it on your own school buildings, or travel further afield. Once plans are complete, you can look to add detail through drawing an elevation of the building or compare the plans which have been drawn with aerial photographs of the buildings. Plans can also be used with buildings which are ruined, but where you can still see the outline. This helps to create a more complete picture of exactly what a site looks like and is used by archaeologists to understand where might be a good place to excavate. Subject First Level Second Level Second and Third Level Third level Maths and Using technology and other Having investigated where, I can use my knowledge of the I can apply my understanding of Numeracy methods, I can display data why and how scale is used coordinate system to plot and scale when enlarging or reducing simply, clearly and accurately and expressed, I can apply my describe the location of a point pictures and shapes, using different by creating tables, charts and understanding to interpret on a grid. methods, including technology. diagrams, using simple labelling and scale. simple models, maps and plans. MTH 2-18a / MTH 3-18a MTH 3-17c MTH 1-21a MTH 2-17d Social Studies Through activities in my local area, I have developed my mental map and sense of place. I can create and use maps of the area. SOC 1-14a To extend my mental map and sense of place, I can interpret information from different types of maps and am beginning to locate key features within Scotland, UK, Europe or the wider world. SOC 2-14a I can use a range of maps and geographical information systems to gather, interpret and present conclusions and can locate a range of features within Scotland, UK, Europe and the wider world. SOC 3-14a