Video: Orchard Middle School Students Construct Scale Model Tiny Homes During Math Class

After a study of proportions, students went hands-on and applied their knowledge to make scale model tiny homes. First, they choose a scale, such as a half inch equals one foot, to design their house. Next, students used foam board, cardboard, or even real wood to build their homes. Finally, students displayed their work in the center for the entire community to experience.  
 
Sixth grade math teacher, Scott Weaver, would like to thank all of the parents for supporting hands-on learning, anf for some, taking many trips to Hobby Lobby. Hopefully he brought out the inner architect in your child. “Scaling is a challenging skill, and adding the element of the third dimension takes it to a new level,” he said. "This progressive work provided maximum engagement, effort, and skill development, along with so many math considerations. Application of skill far exceeds being able to use a memorized algorithm.

Conversations and student questions along the way:
“How many feet tall is a fridge?”
“Do I have to calculate my wall thickness?”
“Could you cut me an 1/8” thick piece of wood?”
“How much space should I have between my stove and my island?”
“Doesn’t the angle of the roof mean the wall will be like a trapezoid on the sides?”
“Are we allowed to use Google Sheets to do the conversions-you know the formula thing you showed us?”
“How much would a tiny home cost?”
“Why is a 2x4 not really 2 inches by 4 inches?”
“Can I just use legos?”
“How long would it take to make a real tiny home?”
“Can I stay in from recess to work on my home?”
“Can I add a man cave garage thing if I finish my home?”
“Mr Weaver, can you help me figure out how to rearrange my loft so I can fit a walk in closet?”
 
Hear from Mr. Weaver and his students in the video below.



Learn more about Orchard's Middle School here.
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