Scale Model

Lesson: Scale Model

Objective: Students will understand scale and proportions

The lesson that I have in math is that all students need to understand scale, scale factor and proportions. To help students with this goal, I have students relate this task to real-life. Students are asked to become an architect for this math project. Students are given an opportunity to design a home on google sketch up. To begin the class has been given lessons that pertain to ratios, rates, proportions and scale. I have asked that an architect come and talk with the students about the requirements that are needed in all houses.

Students begin this project by learning how to use Google Sketch Up. Being able to play with the program helps the students to become familiar with the tools and aware of how to use the program. The first requirement that they have is to simply design a house with a kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom and bathroom in 1500 sq. ft. Once they have been able to design a house meeting this criteria, students work in teams and draw out lot sizes and begin to work on creating a house design to fit their lot. As students begin working in Sketch up they are able to move and redesign rooms easily.

The next step is to begin to build a scale model of the house that they design on Google Sketch up. This step takes about three weeks for them to complete. Students are to create the lot using a scale of 1in : 8 ft and then determine what materials they will use to create the model. Students analyze their plan, materials and obstacles that occur throughout the building. They are communicating and collaborating with each other to put this model together. I would like to see the students using the Flip Video cameras to record the reflections that they make when they are communicating and collaborating. If students were to use the cameras they would be able to point to the area on their model that they had to make adjustments, why they made the adjustments, and what they did as a group to make it work. I believe it would help the students to make better reflections and be useful for them to hear how they problem solved. As an IB learner, we ask that our students reflect on their thinking to better understand what was done and why they chose that method.

I also plan to place images and videos from the flip camera onto my website. It could also be useful as a pre-building stage to have students go out into the community to find different types of architecture and designs in the neighborhood to help them generate ideas for their own building. This would incorporate the community and social aspect of IB as well.