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Collection of Reviewed Teaching Resources

A Model House: Dream House Project

Subject taught
- Math
- Technology

Link
https://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/152500

Type of Product
- Exercises
- Lesson Plans
- Videos
- Web Site/Portal

Language Skills Developed
- Interaction
- Listening
- Reading
- Speaking
- Writing

Transferable/Scientific Skills Developed
Students will develop measuring skills, analytical skills, critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills.

Description
Students will design a floor plan of their dream house using compositions of basic geometric shapes. They will also calculate the area of the plan to determine flooring costs. Students will conduct research on alternative energy sources and determine the best fit for their dream house location.
The general aims are to develop the measurement skills and the ability to make connections and suppositions. To acquire and interpret information in a critic way through different contexts.
Subject specific aims:
• Apply geometric methods to modeling.
• Design a scale model dream house.
• Find areas of composite geometric shapes.
• Identity different types of renewable resources.
• Determine the type of resource(s) based on the location of the house.
Linguistic aims:
- to listen English with ease
- to understand content
- to learn from written texts
- to express opinion
- to enable students to understand topic correctly
- to translate English words into the mother tongue using their own words.

This task is aimed at students of 13-14 years old.
Level of competence in English (CEFR): A2
Time required to use the resource with the students: 3 Hour(s)

How to use it: teacher will distribute the Dream House Project student worksheet and explain each step of the project. The teacher will assign the students to groups, distribute any needed supplies, and ask students to begin.

Guiding questions for this lesson?
• How can geometric shapes be used in modeling of real-world objects?
• How can the areas of composite shapes be calculated?
• How are the areas of two-dimensional shapes calculated? How might area calculations help in resolving design problems?
• How does location determine the best types of energy generating systems?
Teacher will use math, science, and engineering design skills to complete this project.
The teacher should display different geometric shapes that might be used in the designs. As the teacher displays these shapes, the students will identify the names of the shapes, as well as their defining attributes.
Next, the teacher will ask the students to describe how to calculate the area of each shape. The teacher will assist students by reviewing the concept of area and guiding students to decompose composite shapes
Students can record notes in their notebooks on how to calculate the area of various shapes.
Next, students need to know the types of alternative fuels that could be used in building a house. There are several links included in the student handout. The teacher may decide to share the information together as a class or to save the information as background research for students to use in their independent and group practice time. The teacher could introduce how students can access the information here.
After reviewing the main parts of the lesson, move into the engineering design process. Explain to students that it is similar to the scientific process they use when conducting experiments. It is an organized process with careful steps and measurements, and at the end there is an analysis of the results. The difference is that engineering goes back after the initial tests to modify and test again.
The teacher will display the Engineering Process and review each step emphasizing that these steps must be followed during this project.
The first two parts of the Dream House Project student worksheet will be completed with guidance from the teacher. The teacher will model Part 1 and Part 2 of the worksheet and provide examples on the dry erase board to check for understanding. The teacher will circulate through the classroom to provide guided assistance. Students will need teacher approval before proceeding to the next part of the Dream House Project student worksheet.
Students will complete Parts 3 and 4 as independent practice. The students will transcribe their data onto page 3, 4, and 5 of the Dream House Project student worksheet.

Comments
Strengths: students not only learn more topic related words but also expand their knowledge on the surrounding environment. Practical tasks deepens students knowledge in complex problem solving through learning match, technology (renewable Energy) and put into practice with practical benefits and sustainability in mind. Scientific reliability: the source is scientifically reliable, this vetted resource aligns to concepts or skills in benchmarks - MAFS.6.G.1.1 find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems. SC.6.N.3.4 identify the role of models in the context of the sixth grade science benchmarks. Resources content complexity rating: level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts. Pedagogical values: self-directed learning, language development across the curriculum, teaching complex thinking, teaching through conversation, contextualization.

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