Scale models are a very useful tool for anyone who is designing a space. It allows us to envision a bigger space by making it smaller and putting it on paper. We often call a scale model of a room a floor plan.
In this activity, you'll be designing your dream room. This could be a bedroom, a restaurant, anything that you'd like. You'll need to think about the size and shape of the room, as well as the furniture that will be inside of it.
Follow the steps below to create a floor plan of your dream room.
Steps for creating a floor plan:
Determine the shape of your room and draw the outline, or where the walls will be, on your piece of grid paper. Ensure that all walls are straight and that you have enough space inside the outline for drawing furniture.
Think of 5 pieces of furniture that you want in your room and add them to the floor plan. Consider the size of the furniture so that when scaled up, they are appropriately sized.
You now need to create the scale to show how big the room and furniture will be on your poster board. Measure your room and come up with an appropriate scale.
Using your scale, draw your scaled up floor plan on your poster paper so that you can show off your design to other classmates.
Investigate
Consider the following questions once you have completed your floor plan.
1.
Do you think your scale is appropriate for a real-life model of a room? Why or why not?
2.
Compare your floor plan with a classmate. Is their scale very different to yours?
Architect Museum
Gallery walk
Now that you've scaled up your floor plan, you have a chance to show off your work to your classmates. You're going to spend a few minutes at each floor plan poster and leave some notes beside each poster by using your sticky notes.
Create a sticky note for each of the following:
One thing you enjoy about this floor plan.
One thing you are confused about.
Do you think that the scale will work for a life-sized version of the room? Why or why not?
Investigate
Consider the following questions once you have completed the gallery walk.
1.
What are the similarities and differences between your poster and your classmates' posters?
2.
Which floor plan did you enjoy the most?
Discuss your responses to the previous questions with a classmate, then answer the questions below.
Discussion
1.
Come up with 2 scenarios where it would be useful to create a floor plan in your own personal life.
2.
Can you think of a way to ensure that your floor plan, when scaled up, will be an appropriate size in real-life?
Outcomes
7.G.A.1
Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.
