Gold Seal Lesson:
The Maze

Copernicus Education Gateway

 

Subject:

Mathematics

Grade:

 

 

5-8

 

 

ICLE Standards:

 

 

Number and Number Relationships: Understand and apply ratio and proportions in a variety of situations.

Measurement: Understand the structure and use of systems of measurement; make and use measurements to describe and compare phenomena.

 

 

Performance Task:

 

 

Note to the teacher: This task would be good to do in conjunction with the study of the Middle Ages and therefore may be a good task to integrate with social studies.
Hear ye! Hear ye! Our school principal has just announced a competition for teams of young men and women interested in designing and building a maze for the school’s upcoming “Tournament of Knights.” The maze must be designed to test and challenge even the quickest and bravest of knights. Any three-person team in the school may enter the competition.

Your task is to form a team with two other members of the class and design a maze for the competition. The list below gives the specifications for the design. Any maze not meeting the specifications will be disqualified.

Specifications

  • The maze must represent a possible real-life maze.

  • A scale drawing of the maze should be made.

  • A reasonably sized three-dimensional model of the maze must be constructed.

  • All measurement must be in the metric system.

  • Necessary proportions and/or computations are to be shown.

 

 

Knowledge / Skills:

 

 

Perform operations with signed (positive and negative) numbers, including decimals, ratios, percents, and fractions. (m1)

Use the technique of dimensional analysis to convert units of measure (e.g., convert km/hr to m/min). (m33) 

Plan and apply real or hypothetical models and constructions to facilitate investigation and learning and the solution to practical problems. (s115)

 

 

Rubric:

 

 

4 Points = Students work cooperatively as a team. Each student contributes to the team effort. Students demonstrate complete understanding of ratio and proportion and are able to apply those concepts in making an accurate and neat scale drawing and three-dimensional model of the maze. The representations model a real life-size maze. The students demonstrate an understanding of the metric system. All necessary proportions and computations are shown.

 

 

3 Points = Although students work cooperatively as a team, one member tends to dominate. Students demonstrate only partial understanding of ratio and proportion and need some coaching in the application of those concepts. The scale drawing and three-dimensional model of the maze contain a few inaccuracies. The representations model a real life-size maze. The students have some difficulty working with the metric system of measurement. Most of the necessary proportions and computations are shown.

 

 

2 Points = The students work more as individuals than as team members. They demonstrate little understanding of ratio and proportions and have much difficulty in applying those concepts. The scale drawing and three-dimensional model of the maze are inaccurately drawn to scale and lack neatness. The students do not show understanding of the metric system of measurement.

 

 

1 Point = The students work poorly as a team. They demonstrate almost no understanding of ratio and proportion and are unable to make application of them. The scale drawing and three-dimensional model are either not attempted or grossly inaccurate, messy, and unattractive. The students do not have an understanding of the metric system of measurement and do not show any work.

 

 

Keywords:

 

 

GEOMETRY
PROBLEM SOLVING

STATISTICS
MEASUREMENT
COMPUTATION 
TEAM WORK
MODELS AND CONSTRUCTION 
RATIOS

 

 

Grades:

 

 

Kg [] - 1 [] - 2 [] - 3 [] - 4 [] - 5 [x] - 6 [x] - 7 [x] - 8 [x] - 9 [] - 10 [] - 11 [] - 12 []

 

 

ICLE Application:

 

 

D

 

 

 

 

 

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