Building Blocks
The Mathematics
of Homebuilding
A Webquest for Middle
School Mathematics
Designed by Mary Leverette
Introduction
Math is everywhere in
the real world. It is hard to find any career or job that does not utilize
math in some way. The construction industry relies heavily on math. This
unit will give you the opportunity to recognize and use several different
math skills that are necessary when building or designing a home.
The Task 
Your group will choose
one house plan and work with the measurements of that home to determine
prices for various materials that will need to be bought.You
will keep a portfolio of all documents and worksheets.
There are various jobs
that will need to be performed by the members of your group:
Contractor
- is in charge of keeping the group focused on the task; is the troubleshooter
if someone is having difficulty with calculations or computer use.
Materials Manager
- is in charge of all materials and keeps track of all written forms and
worksheets.
Kitchen Subcontractor -
helps choose and purchase all kitchen appliances.
Ceramic Tile Subcontractor
– Designs decorative tile for front entrance.
Some of the activities
are done individually, and some are done as a group. Work together, be
creative, and have fun!
The Process
Choosing a Home
1.Choose
a partner within your group and choose one of the following house plans.
You will then determine the price of building that home in various parts
of the country. You will compare data and choose one home for your group
to build. You will use that house plan for the remainder of the activities.
Click on Dream
Home and print a copy
of this worksheet. Then click on one of the houses below to see interior
floor plan.Print this floor plan
and use for your calculations.
House
#1House #2
Don’t
forget that the price of your home would have to also include the lot.An
average price for a lot in South Carolina is $17,500.Add
that to the construction price.
2.Journal
entry – Why did you choose your particular house plan?Were
other factorsmore important than
just cost?
Carpeting
Your Home
1.Use
the catalogues provided from Home Depot and Lowes.Use
your Dream Home worksheet to determine the price of carpeting your home.Do
not carpet the kitchen or the garage, of course!(Check
out the calculators on the website,http://www.homedepot.com/home.html
and use the carpet calculator to check your figures!)
2.Journal
entry – How much did carpeting cost?Do
you think this is one area of thehouse
that price is more important than quality?Why
or why not?
Kitchen
Design
1.The
kitchen subcontractor needs to click on the kitchen above to print out
the worksheet.Then go to one of
the following websites and analyze the different brands and prices of various
kitchen appliances.If you click
on Lowes, go shopping
for “Major Appliances.”If you shop
at Sears,
click on “Appliances.”You will have
a lot of different kinds of appliances to choose from, with lots of different
prices!Be careful, kitchens can
get rather expensive!(Be sure to
give your worksheet to yourmaterials
manager.)
Ceramic
Tile
Adding
a decorative tile design to your entrance can add a beautiful touch to
the entrance of your home.Everyone
in the group will want to design a tile, but the ceramic tile subcontractor
is in charge of determining the final design and calculating the prices
on the worksheet.Begin by making
a design with the pattern blocks.Try
to show a repeating pattern (tessellation) or symmetry.Now
you can go to the Internet to make a copy of you design on the computer.Click
on the square below to print out your worksheet, and click on the hexagon
to try out your design on the computer.
Click
here for worksheet.Click
here for Website.(Be
sure to click on the instructions at the bottom of the page so you will
know how to make your design.
Be
careful – a very elaborate design can be very expensive!
A
Dash of Color – Painting Your Home
1.Each
person on your team should choose a room in your home to paint.You
will need to determine the color, and the price of the paint used for your
room.It is very important that
the colors will go well together, so be sure to check with each other before
you make your final decision.Click
on the color palette below to go to the Benjamin Moore Paint Store.Click
on Color Preview to choose your colors.
Now
use the paint calculator
to determine the amountof
paint you will need, and the price of the paint.
Do
not paint the ceiling, molding, or baseboards, please.You
also need to know that the height of your room is 8 feet.
2.Journal
entry – What room are you painting?What
color did you choose and why?What
is the cost to paint your room?
Evaluation
The
following rubric will be used in evaluating your portfolio:
A
– All dimension calculations and total prices are correct.
B
– 90% of calculations (dimensions and prices) are correct.
C
– 70% of calculations (dimensions and prices) are correct.
D
– 50% of calculations (dimensions and prices) are correct.
F
– Less than 50% of calculations (dimensions and prices) are correct.
Conclusion
After
successfully completing this WebQuest, you will have applied your understanding
of measurement to a real life situation.You
will have also calculated prices including, taxes.As
a final step to this WebQuest, you need to respond to the following question
in your Journal:
1. What
are some of the things you liked about this project, and what are some
of the things you disliked?