This is in reply to Virginia Parks request for information on a fiberglass
topographic model:

Virginia,

  While this is not fiberglass, a student of mine made such a model which we
now have hanging on a wall next to a large topographic map mosaic of
northern Maine.  The student simply took 8 copies of the 7 1/2 minute
topographic map of Presque Isle and cut around all the contour lines and
then overlaid these to produce a three dimensional effect.  The result was
surprisingly attractive and has made the teaching of topographic maps in my
Physical Geology course much much easier (many students have a surprising
amount of difficulty with contour lines).  The total cost was $20 for the
maps, plus the glue.  The student of course volunteered many hours of time
during a Christmas holiday.  We now have the map displayed in a shallow
wallcase.

  What made this project especially useful is that the result still has the
topographic information  in the margins and thus appears as a
three-dimensionalized topographic map of an area the students know well.
Contour lines become self-explanatory.  Anyone who has had the frustration
of trying to teach contour lines to a student who has decided that this
concept is too hard will appreciate how nice such a self-explanatory map is.

  My student did this project on a piece of thin cardboard that has warped
somewhat; I would recommend a thicker material as a base.

Kevin McCartney, Ph.D.
Associate Prof., Geology
Director, Northern Maine Museum
  of Science (in development)
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, ME  04769