Project-Based Geometry

Edutopia has two articles that focus on some really interesting student projects. One is about a Seattle-area teacher who has her students learn geometry through giving her students design and architectural-based projects. Here's her basic challenge to the students:

"Working as a member of an architectural team in 2050, you are competing against five other companies to win the contract to design a state-of-the-art high school on a given site. You must present your proposed design to a panel of professional architects who will award the contract. Your design must meet the learning needs of students in 2050, must accommodate 2,000 students, and must make use of the natural benefits of this particular site, while also preserving at least half of the existing wetland."

Read the full story here. The article outlines the project in some detail and has some great materials on exactly what the kids did.

The other article is about San Francisco's Build SF project. There's an interesting video on the link, but I cannot get it to embed on my site. Be sure to take a look at it, though.