Architecture for Math Students

Chip Webber

Jo Martinson

Anticipatory Set

Get a copy of the blueprint of the school. See if the students can identify what it is.

Background knowledge

At this point the students have already been introduced to the concepts of finding the area and perimeter of rectangular objects

The instructor does not need to be familiar with additional materials.

Abstract

This lesson applies the mathematical concepts of area and perimeter to an arena with which the students are familiar – houses and buildings.

Lesson Plan

Goal Content Objective Materials Estimated Time Procedure Closure Standards Assesment

Goal

The larger, overall goal of this section of the class is to teach perimeter, circumference, pi, area of rectangle, triangle, and circle.

Content Objectives

Finding the area and perimeter of rectangles is specifically targeted in this lesson.

Materials

The materials required for this class are a little prohibitive because of the time required to prepare them. For each for each group of students I used:

1- 12"x12" piece of corkboard2 - 10" sections of wall2 - 8” sections of wall2- 6" sections of wall2 - 5" sections of wall2- 4" sections of wall

Additional sections of wall are also available to the students via the other teams. The total cost of materials that I purchased was about $30.

Corkboard

The corkboard is readily available at both Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, and other stores I did not visit. I drew a 1” grid on one side of the corkboard, but this step can be omitted the designer’s discretion.

Walls

The walls were constructed from bass wood that was purchased from hobby lobby. The small nails were first inserted into the rectangular dowel, and the dowel was then glued to the already cut pieces of bass wood.

Estimated Time

Ideally this lesson will be completed in one 50 minute class period.

Procedure

Have the students divide into groups of 2-5 people as materials allow. Have the students divide the tasks between them.

TasksDraw the floor plan

Build the 3-d house

Calculate the area of each room

Calculate the perimeter of each room

Specifications

Since there are virtually limitless possibilities of the house the students can build there must be some way to restrict the number of correct solutions.

Sample Specs Total area of

house Room size Number of rooms Other specs

Example 1 64 – 90 sq in 20 - 40 sq in -- House can not be square

Example 2 55 – 65 sq in >30 sq in 2 House can not be a simple rectangle

Floor Plan

The students should draw a floor plan that corresponds to the house that they built – or vice versa. The order of completing the floor plan can be left to the students. Some may find the sketch as an aid to assembling the house.

Floor Plan

Each floor plan should include:1. Total area of house

2. Area of each room

3. Dimensions of each room

4. Should be drawn to scale

Follow-through

This activity readily yields itself to expansion and modification. The sections of wall can be assigned a cost per section, or a cost per inch. All of the dimensions can be scaled to represent more realistic values like 1 in = 20 ft. Additional requirements can also be added.

AssessmentTo asses the learning of the students they can be given a normal test involving the area and perimeter of rectangular shapes.