Scale modeling and math concepts make building fun
The Geometry and Architecture courses have proven to complement each other very nicely. Kylie Cooper’s architecture class used math concepts to create scaled down models of the original structures from around the world while Alesha Allen’s class used math to create structures and to scale up the models.
In Allen’s first-week Geometry class, campers explored how shapes transformed and connected 2D and 3D forms. They spent time building, drawing, and analyzing how shapes can change forms while using mathematical concepts to transform structures. They created smaller models and calculated how to re-create the models in a larger size.
William, Suma, and Simon worked on a scale model of a train signal box the previous week and in Week 2, they were putting the last refinements on their larger model for the final project. The other team was working on an engine and a truck (which looks like a trailer behind the train engine). Both Geometry classes had meticulously planned out their smaller models and calculated the numbers to construct the larger models the second week.
Much like Geometry, the Scale Modeling with Architecture class worked on building structures. Students explored original works such as the famous Japanese To-ji pagoda and the Eiffel Tower. Students learned how to scale down the size to make their models. Each student researched various famous structures such as cathedrals or towers, gathered information on the existing dimensions, and calculated how many inches they would need to make the scaled-down model.
By the last Thursday, it was fun to guess what the models were. Edison was putting the final touches on his Leaning Tower of Pisa from Italy, Kenny made the Big Ben clock from London, and Noah was completing the Colosseum from Rome. Henry was excited to be putting together the Eiffel Tower from Paris and used a special technique he learned in Geometry to apply to his architecture project. With the help of his teacher and a very hot glue gun, Cameron was proudly putting his final walls up on his Notre-Dame Cathedral model from Paris.
The future of our communities is in good hands with these budding engineers and architects.