Dream Home: Utilizing Money, Area, Perimeter, and Conversion

STEM UNIT: Becoming an architect may seem so wonderful, but students may think twice after designing, building, and repairing problems in their new home. This is a unit that allows students to use a combination of math skills and critical thinking to be the architect of their own dream home on a budget. The students will engage in researching architecture of homes and house plans, designing their house plan, purchasing materials and labor, and dealing with problems along the way. The skills used in this lesson include:
-computing large money amounts
-area
-perimeter
-measurement conversion (feet/yards)
-multiplication
-division
-percentages
-technology (spread sheet, calculator, PowerPoint)

This unit can be down as an early finisher assignment. It is perfect for grades 5-9, but can be used in older grades as well.

The package includes :
- Task sheet
- Description of Assignment and Budget
- Cost of Materials and Labor List
- Contingency Cards (potential problem payments and reward savings)
- Graph paper for design of home