Session 1 · SOLVE: Link Ideas
Nets and scale models
- 10 minNets: which flat shapes fold into a cube, a rectangular prism, a triangular prism or a pyramid? Test by folding.
- 25 minDesign the net for your bed, tank or furniture at a scale of 1 : 10 or 1 : 20, and build the model. Add it to a scale base map or a cardboard site model.
- 15 minSlope: water flows downhill. Measure the fall across your site with a string line and level, and work out the slope as rise ÷ run × 100%.
Session 2 · SOLVE: Verify
Test the design against the brief
- 15 minCheck the design against the site: does it get north sun? Does water drain away from it? Is there room to walk and work around it (at least 60 cm paths)?
- 20 minCheck the numbers: swap calculations with another group, estimate first, then recalculate. Is the materials list complete?
- 15 minCost the final design and compare it with the budget. If it is over, what could change? Tohu asks one question about your plan.
Getting started
Start with a cube net: six squares in a cross. Change the rectangles to make a box.
Stretch
If you double every length of your bed, what happens to the timber, the area and the soil? Test with your model and explain the 2×, 4×, 8× pattern.
Checkpoint
A scale model that matches the plan, a materials list with quantities and costs, and a design checked against the site.
Activities for this week
- Slope detective: Which way, and how steeply, does our site slope?
- Classroom makeover at 1 : 50: Can we design a classroom layout that fits everyone and everything better?
Useful this week
- Area ↗ Area formulas for rectangles, triangles, trapeziums and more.
- Metric volume ↗ Millilitres, litres, cubic centimetres and cubic metres, and how they connect.
- Polyhedron models and nets ↗ Printable nets to fold into 3D shapes.
- Water supply ↗ NZ guidance on collecting and storing rainwater, to check your tank design.