Memers of the first place team in the Southland College Prep Charter High School Habitat for Humanity Geometry project : Josh Buford, Richton Park; Carley Marberry,Park Forest; and Joseph Stewart, Richton Park, display their winning entry with Brian Wales, mathematics instructor and Robert Palmer, board member, South Suburban branch of Habitat for Humanity who judged the entries. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)
Richton Park, IL—(ENEWSPF)— What do architecture, engineering and mathematics have in common?
For members of Southland College Prep Charter High School’s Geometry Honors course the answer was an opportunity to participate in a Habitat for Humanity three-week project that required mastery of the entire school year’s geometry content.
“Our Advanced Placement track freshmen and honors sophomores were challenged to blend creativity, teamwork, ingenuity, academic competition and presentation skills into an assignment to design a three-level Habitat for Humanity house,” said Brian Wales, mathematics teacher at the new charter school who offered his students the opportunity to participate in the project.
The first place winning team was composed of Josh Buford, Richton Park; Carley Marberry, Park Forest; and Joseph Stewart,Richton Park.
Runners up were Coretta Franklin, Park Forest; Elysia Sawyers, Park Forest; and Ella Thornton, Matteson.
Robert Palmer, a board member of the Chicago South Suburban branch of Habitat for Humanity, served as a judge for the project that involved 56 students divided into teams of three or four participants.
The assignment required the teams to design a three-dimensional model of a three-level single family home with a living room, kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The floor plans had to contain isosceles and Pythagorean triple triangles, full and half circles, quadrilaterals
(including square, rectangle, rhombus, kite and trapezoid) and other complex shapes.
Teams were required to label and measure to scale all elements of the house, detail the exterior cladding and decorate interior room layouts with creative solutions. All construction supplies and materials needed to be specified, including flooring treatments and a three-paragraph written summary.
A final requirement was for each team to select a spokesperson to present the project to an assembly of all the participants and judge Palmer at an awards ceremony.
“This is a wonderful project, for it comes at a time when Southland College Prep students are deciding on an interest area of concentration. It also addresses every Common Core geometry standard in a fun atmosphere, while proving their mastery of the entire year’s content,” Wales explained.
