Directions

Group Work

In this project students will work in groups to:

• create a coordinate system based on description of task; and 
• place reference points and markers on the coordinate graph as provided in the data. 
   

You may want to help students define the following terms and provide examples before they begin this project.

Rotunda

A rotunda is a circular room in a building that often has a dome, similar to the United States Capitol building. The town hall rotunda will be constructed with a dome.  Use a picture of the United States Capitol building as an example.

Wing

A wing of a building is an extension of a building from the main structure. The town hall wings will extend off of the rotunda. One wing will extend north of the rotunda and the other will extend south of the rotunda. Use your school or town building as an example. Provide a picture.

Reference marker

A reference marker is a location on the structure that helps to locate the building on the site. These are usually corners of the structure or where two structures meet. Use your school building or classroom to demonstrate a reference marker. In this project, a reference marker is translated to a point on the graph that identifies where two sides of a structure meet or where two connected structures meet.

Traffic circle

A traffic circle, also known as a rotary or roundabout (in England) is a type of roadway intersection that directs both turning and through traffic onto a one-way circular roadway. If your town does not have a traffic circle, consider showing pictures such as Columbus Circle in NY, Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.,  Los Alamitos Circle in Long Beach, CA or Soldier’s and Sailor’s Monument in Indianapolis, IN

Materials Needed

Each student will need:

• 1 copy of the Group Worksheet;
• 1 copy of the Building Site Graph; and
• a ruler or straight edge.
   

If possible, print enlarged copies of the Building Site Graph.

Students will access the data about each structure online.

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Final Report

Individually, students will:

• create a graph of the town complex buildings based on the work completed in the group; and  ​
• Identify all buildings whose outlines are squares, rectangles, circles, ovals, and parallelograms. 

Materials Needed

Each student will need:

• the worksheet and graph completed during the group work; and
• a ruler or straight edge.
   

Students will access the data about each structure online. Students will complete the drawing they started during the group work and answer questions online. The online questions will guide students through the step to complete their drawings.
 

Extension Activity

Have students determine and label the length and width of all structures on their graphs.