Can I use Inkscape to create a contour map?

Dear Dee O'Flaherty,

this sounds like a cool idea - promoting FLOSS (Free and Libre Open Source Software) in schools by using it :)

(It would be wonderful if you could also tell the kids something about the philosophy behind it: https://fsfe.org/freesoftware/basics/4freedoms.en.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8fHgx9mE5U)

With the proper preparation, I would say that yes, this is possible.

You would need to know well in advance what kind of result you're aiming at, and find out about the easiest (and quickest) ways to accomplish this (for my workshops, I usually prepare some files which we can then use as a common starting point). Also make sure that you try out the technical side well in advance and that you know which difficulties to expect when the kids are using Inkscape for the first time.

For a more advanced discussion forum, I think it would be better to put your ideas and questions (if possible, with images and a hint about the time frame) up at http://www.inkscapeforum.com/ . Chances are high that you will receive input from several experienced users there, and that forum also supports image upload (unlike the answers section here).

Unless you are looking for paid support? Then I can ask around if someone is interested.

Kind regards,
 Maren Hachmann