Your Dream Tree House

Introduction


Have you ever wanted to build a tree house? I know that after reading one of the Magic Tree House books I was inspired to build my own.  Your challenge today will be to design a floor plan for your dream tree house!

Objective: We will demonstrate our understanding of area and perimeter by designing a tree house that includes at least three visual representations and equations of area, and three of perimeter. 

Standards: 

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.5
Recognize area as an attribute of plane figures and understand concepts of area measurement.CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.6
Measure areas by counting unit squares (square cm, square m, square in, square ft, and improvised units).CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.C.7
Relate area to the operations of multiplication and addition.

Task

Design the Floor Plan of a Tree House

1. Describe Area and Perimeter

2. Find the math equations that you would use to find area and perimeter

3. Find the area and perimeter of three rooms or rectangular objects in your tree house

4. Draw a picture of the front of your tree house!

Process

Design the Floor Plan of a Tree House

1. Describe Area and Perimeter

Watch the videos below to gain an understanding of area and perimeter

[video:video:video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5jTP-q9TgI align:center]

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAY1bsazcgM align:center]

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCdxURXMdFY align:center]

Answer the following questions:

  • What is area? 
  • What is perimeter?
  • What would a math equation to sole for the area of a rectangle look like?
  • What would a math equation to solve for the perimeter of a rectangle look like? 

2. Draw a floor plan for your tree house! 

Using the centimeter graph paper in the classroom, draw a floor plan for your tree house!

(Make sure that you draw all of your walls and rooms on the lines)

 

A floor plan is the picture of what a house would look like if you were above it looking down onto the house and then took the roof off.  It looks like this:

3. Find the math equations that you would use to find area and perimeter and solve for the answer.

  • Choose three rooms or rectangular objects on your floor plan that you would like to find the area and perimeter of and draw around the outside with marker. 
  • Write the length and width in cemtimeters on each side of the room 
  • In the middle of each room or object write the name of the room
  • On the back of your paper write the name of each room and the math equations to add the lengths of the sides together to find the perimeter and label the answer with cm.
  • Now write the multipciation sentence for finding area and label your answer with (cm2).

5. Draw a picture of the front of your tree house!

Using the paper provided, draw a picture of your tree house!

6. if you have extra time, try to find the area and perimeter of other objects in your tree house.

What would happen if the shape was not rectangular? How would your find the area? 

Evaluation

Conclusion

Answer the following questions on a piece of notebook paper

1. How did you find the area and perimeter of each room or object?

2. Are there any other methods that you could have used? 

3. Why would it be important for a contractor to understand area and perimeter? 

Congratulations on designing your tree house!! Please staple your floor plan, your drawing, your questions and answers together and turn them in to the purple folder!

Credits

Thank you to the following sources....

  • Math Rocks!
  • Math Antics

Teacher Page

Supplies Needed:

  • Centimeter Graph Paper
  • Blank white paper