Cross-Curricular Project Unit 3

Under Construction

Introduction
Can you build it? Yes, you can! You've been selected to head the architectural and construction teams on a house of your own design. You'll create the uniquely shaped floor plan, research different floor coverings for the rooms in your house, and finally research different loans to cover the cost of purchasing these floor coverings. So grab a hammer and some nails, and don't forget your geometry and measurement tool kits. You're about to construct a cool adventure!

The Task
Below is a brief description of each activity you will encounter in this WebQuest. Remember, if you have any questions, the Guidance section has some helpful hints, and the Resources section has some useful Web sites.

Construction Challenge 1
First, create a scale drawing of the layout of a house given a specific amount of square footage.

Construction Challenge 2
Next, locate the prices of different types of floor coverings. Then, choose the type, color, and amount of floor coverings to put into your house.

Construction Challenge 3
Finally, calculate the amount of money you spent on your different floor coverings. Look at the different loans available to you and decide which is the better choice for you.

The Process
Below is a detailed description of each challenge.

Construction Challenge 1
First, create a scale drawing of a house. You can use a computer program or simply make your drawing on a piece of grid paper. Your house must meet these requirements.

Its total square footage must be between 1,000 and 1,400.
You must have at least two rooms whose shape is not rectangular. For example, you could have a room shaped like a parallelogram, a circle, a triangle, a trapezoid, a pentagon, or a hexagon.
All room dimensions must be labeled.
You must include a scale on your drawing.
Your drawing must include windows, doors, closets, and any additional details.

Construction Challenge 2

Once you have completed your scale drawing, use the Internet to research different floor coverings, their prices, and available colors. You have no set budget, but if you read Construction Challenge 3, you must be able to take out a loan with a set amount of interest. You must purchase the following:
- at least 3 different types of floor coverings;
- at least 2 different colors of floor coverings; and
- floor covering for your entire house, excluding a garage, if you have one.
Create a table that includes the different brands of floor coverings you purchased, the amount per square unit of each brand, the amount you purchased of each brand, and the total amount spent on each brand.

Construction Challenge 3

Finally, use your calculations from Construction Challenge 2 along with the information below to choose which loan you would take out to purchase your floor coverings. When choosing a loan, you can at most spend $4,000 on interest.
Choose from the following different loans:
- 5 years with a 15% rate,
- 10 years with a 7.5% rate, or
- 15 years with a 5.25% rate.
Once you have chosen a loan, write at least one paragraph describing which loan you chose and why. Remember to use mathematical facts to support your answer.

Guidance
If you are having difficulties with a particular challenge, take a look at some of the helpful hints below.

Construction Challenge 1

To review how to calculate the area of parallelograms, triangles, and trapezoids, see Prerequisite Skills, p.693 in your text.
To review how to calculate the area of a circle, see Lesson 7-1.
To review how to calculate the area of a complex figure, see Lesson 7-3.
To review creating a scale drawing, see Lesson 4-7.

Construction Challenge 2

Remember, when purchasing floor coverings for your house, calculate the area of each room to know how much floor covering you will need.
Below is a table that you could use to display all of your data:

Brand	Price per Square Unit	Amount Purchased	Total Cost

Construction Challenge 3

To review how to calculate simple interest, see Lesson 5-9 in your text.
When writing your paragraph rationale, be sure you include mathematical reasoning to support your choice. Include a description of how you did your calculations.

Resources
Listed below are some helpful Web sites. Remember, you are not limited to these Web sites.
Black Market Carpet

iFloor
FloorShop

Conclusion
Congratulations on a job well done! Some day you will get a house of your own, and it will be your responsibility to properly budget your money and make decisions about the type of house that you want and need. An understanding of area and interest formulas is important when buying a new house. The challenge you have just completed is one that people all over the United States face everyday!