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My son is an elementary school teacher and has asked me to talk to his class on construction. The aim is to show how math can have practical applications. I’m going to have to prepare for this! Can anybody recommend a good practical book to help do this?
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Nic - why not demonstrate how to calculate the number of treads in a set of stairs? Or how to calculate stud length for a certain ceiling height with allowances for top & bottom plates? Are they old enough for trig? Explain how to determine rafter length based on rise & run.
*Or calculate number of squares of siding, shingles, floor covering, etc.
*Rick - I like your idea, let's build on it: number of rolls of wallpaper or gallons of paint based on coverage per sf.
*Did something similar with both my Girl Scout and Cub Scout troops last year for construction related badges.Started from the beginning...Excavation: For example, foundation footprint is 30 x 40 feet. Excavator digs an additional 4 feet in each dimension. a) What is the footprint of the hole?The hole is 7 feet deep.b) What is the volume of the hole in cu ft?C) In cu yards?Footings are 24" by 12" by 140 linear feet. d) How many cu yds of concrete?Walls are 10" thick by 8' high. e) How many cu yards of concrete?Slab is 4" thick. f) How many cu yards for the slab.Concrete cost $50 per yard and $50 per yard to place.g) Total cost?Exterior wall...40 feet long, stud spaced 16" on center...how many studs? How about 24" on center?On and on...All the way to using the pythagorean theorem to figure rafter length for a given roof span and ridge beam height.Have fun!
*There is a great book called Math to Build On.....don't have it it with me .....will try to get the publishers name etc
*Workshop Math is a good one, and has some info on using a framing square for certain calculations. Take a framing square to class and do some stepping off or caculate the amount of dirt a crew can move in "x" hours. "Math to Build On" that jc mentioned is by Johnny and Margaret Hamilton and is also a good one. The little book that comes with most framing squares is also handy. Good Luck. Skip
*Attahced is a 2 page M/S Word doc that addresses some basic building math. You may find it useful. If you can't bring it up on your computer let me know and I'll post a text version, however, the formatting will be messed up.
*Yes, Workshop Math is the Popular Science book by Robert Scharff. Another decent book is Construction Geometry, by Brian Walmsley. It might help to know what elementary grade we're talking about. In grade two the kids are just learning area and basic arithmetic: Euclidian geometry is going to be over their head. The later grades will be into Sin/Tan et al.
*The book is Math To Build On by Johnny and Margaret Hamilton available from the publisher, Construction Trades Press P.O. Box 953 Clinton, N.C. 28328. Pretty basic but very useful.
*Really great replies - thank you all - and any other ideas would be welcome too. Phill: the grades are 4/5 so I guess we can take the discussion a fair way. It's the application of the math to real situations (absent when I went to school!) that I hope will spark their interest. I'll let you all know what happens.
*Bring in something interesting, something to touch. A framing square to try out, or your folding rule, or even set up a transit and see if first, second, and third base are the same elevation.(I'm talkig about baseball, we all know that all the bases are at different elevations in the "other" base system)
*Nic - Having done this before my advice is keep it way simpler than you think.Kids in grades 4-5 are 4-6 years away from any sort of calculations involving geometry and trigonometry - they won't 'get it' at all. Even expressing volume in cubic units will not necessarily be clear. I gave a talk on this for an 8th-9th grade group including the Golden Section for proportion, Pythagorean theorem etc. and it was probably 75/25 comprehending/duh? Ryan's ideas re: props are good ones.I suggest that you get your son's textbook, go ahead a few chapters and look at what theyi willbe learning a little later in the school year. That way they (and you) can benefit from the 'Aha - that's what Mr. Robinson was talking about!' that leads to a real interest in learning.Good luck - Jeff