Summary
In this lesson, students will build on their knowledge of parallel lines by incorporating perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal lines. The goal is for students to understand the characteristics of different types of lines and then apply their knowledge to design a structure as an architect might. Students will be able to define, recognize, and create a structure using perpendicular, parallel, vertical, and horizontal lines.
Essential Question(s)
How can lines build great structures?
Snapshot
Engage
Students make predictions about what an architect does.
Explore
Students investigate different types of lines through a Honeycomb Harvest.
Explain
Students eliminate any misconceptions and begin to understand how to identify parallel, perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal lines.
Extend
Students assume the role of an architect and design a structure using parallel, perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal lines.
Evaluate
Students create a two-minute elevator pitch to present their design to a potential stakeholder.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Life as an Architect handout (attached; one per student)
Honeycomb Harvest handout (attached; one cut-out set per group)
Graph paper
Pencils
Colored pencils (optional)
Student devices with internet access
Engage
Introduce the lesson using the attached Lesson Slides. Display slide 3 to share the lesson’s essential question: How can lines build great structures? Display slide 4 to go over the lesson’s primary learning objective. Review these slides with students to the extent you feel necessary.
Go to slide 5 and pass out a copy of the attached Life as an Architect handout to each student. As students watch the video “Celebrating Architecture: Look Up,” have them answer the following questions:
What does an architect do?
What skills does an architect need to be successful?
Go to slide 6 and show students the picture of Westminster Abbey. As a whole class, see if anyone knows what the structure is and where it is located.
After you discuss Westminster Abbey’s location, have students turn their attention to the architecture itself. With their Elbow Partners, have students talk about what they see. Encourage them to look at the lines and the configuration of the structure. Students should be talking in some manner about parallel, perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal lines.
After a couple minutes, pose the following question: What would happen if the lines were not perpendicular? Let students discuss that question with their partners, and then ask different pairs to share out.
Explore
Display slide 7. In groups of two or three, students will complete a Honeycomb Harvest. Pass out baggies with pre-cut hexagons from the attached Honeycomb Harvest handout to each group.
Students will analyze four vocabulary words (parallel, perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal) and show their relationship to the other concepts—pictures, line equations, and definitions—by placing related hexagons together to create four honeycombs, one for each vocabulary word.
As they work, students will notice there are four blank hexagons. On these hexagons, groups must create their own representation of each vocabulary word and place it within their designated honeycombs.
Do not rush this portion of the lesson. It may take students some time to analyze and place each hexagon in what they believe is the appropriate honeycomb. Once students create their honeycombs, have them justify their honeycomb placements on the Life as an Architect handout from earlier in the lesson. Have students also describe what they created on each blank hexagon to represent each vocabulary word.
Explain
Display slide 8. Make sure all students have completed their honeycombs and are ready to justify their findings. When everyone is ready, bring the class back together. Ask each group to share out their answers to the following questions:
Where did you place your hexagons and why? (Share only one honeycomb scenario.)
What did you create on the blank hexagon for the honeycomb scenario you just shared? Why?
At this point, do not try to correct anyone if they placed a hexagon in the wrong honeycomb. Some of the hexagons may fit in more than one honeycomb depending on how you view them, but the definitions should be with their respective vocabulary words. Just let students talk about their analysis while you jot down different misconceptions they have.
Go to slide 9. Using the information students learned from the Honeycomb Harvest, have students help you place the definitions and examples in the different columns on the slide. Depending on the examples or the misconceptions you noticed earlier, you may have to elaborate on these lists to meet students' needs.
Extend
Display slide 10. After students understand what it means to have lines that are parallel, perpendicular, vertical, and horizontal and how to create them, they will return their focus to the career of the architect. Students will go back to the Life as an Architect handout.
Have students think about where they would want to leave their mark in the world by creating a structure in that location. The structure may be in any location and may be used for any function. Let students be creative with what they want to design.
Once students decide on the location and the function of the structure, have them start to sketch their drawing of the building. Students may draw any structure they want, but it must include two sets of perpendicular lines, two sets of parallel lines, two vertical lines, and two horizontal lines.
After students have created a rough sketch of their structure, have them copy it on graph paper so they can prove the lines are perpendicular, parallel, vertical, and horizontal. Remind them that architects have to be very precise in their dimensions and drawing to keep a building structurally sound.
Evaluate
Display slide 11. To introduce the closing activity, address the importance of architecture beyond the lines and structural considerations.
Display slide 12. Let students know they will use Flip to role-play with a potential client who wants to invest in a new property.
Students will create a two-minute Elevator Speech to highlight the benefits of their design and explain why the client should invest in their design. Remind students that they must include some of their mathematical reasoning for why the building will be safe and secure.
Resources
AIANational. (2014, December 12). Celebrating Architecture: Look Up [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLhbTGzE6MA
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow Partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elevator Speech. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/57
K20 Center. (n.d.). Flip. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/1075
K20 Center. (n.d.). Honeycomb Harvest. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/61
Scheijen, J. (2007). Architecture [Image]. RGBStock. https://www.rgbstock.com/photo/mWk7rZE/Architecture