Construction Project
From Prep08Wiki
This is a rough outline of a project I am working on planning for my Math, Art, and Design class this fall. Part of the semester will be spent looking at basic mathematical tools that might be useful to practicing artists (measurement, scaling, determining areas and volumes, squaring, mitering, etc.) I hope to use these tools in a construction project.
Description of Project
The students will be individually building a box with drawers, probably out of thick cardboard (but material suggestions are appreciated). The design will be up to the student, although the box should have at least one drawer, should be a total of approximately 1 cubic foot in volume, and should be painted. I'll be encouraging students to consider options such as a hinged lid or secret compartments.
Project Report
You will turn in a report with your finished box that outlines your construction process (be sure to keep notes as you go along) and contains all of the following elements:
- A scaled drawing of your finished box and a drawing of the plans for your box. The plan should contain all of the components of the box and include all of the measurements (length/width/height) for each piece (we will be looking at some plans so students will have an idea of what is expected). The drawings must correctly indicate the scale.
- Calculations of the volume of each compartment or drawer of your box and the total volume of the box.
- Calculations of the surface areas of surfaces which were painted. You should show how you calculated these surface areas and how you estimated the amount of paint you would need. Compare your estimates with the amount of paint that you actually used and provide thoughtful speculation about the source of any discrepancies.
More Ideas and Considerations?
If anyone has any ideas or has done such a project before, I'd love some feedback. I'm still really in the early planning stages, so please let me know if you have any thoughts.
