Unit Overview

Unit Description

Students are immersed in the role of architects with the objective of learning about solid geometry, proportions, and scale throughout the unit. During the first week, students explore and familiarize themselves with fundamental solid geometrical figures as well as the measurement and calculation of their dimensions. They are tasked to create a building of their choice. During the second week, they produce a scaled drawing of the floor plan and cross sections of their building. They create a project poster and present their project in a classroom exhibition.

Rationale

Architects constantly move between 3D and 2D representations in their design processes. They also use proportional relationships to scale their designs. The goals of this unit are to help students understand the mathematical relationships between 2D and 3D shapes and to deepen their understanding of proportions as they create drawings to scale.

Prior student knowledge

Angles, perimeters, and areas of plane figures, volume of rectangular prisms

Learning objectives

Volume and surface area of prisms, proportions, scale