Connexions module: m18183 1
Chicken Coop Construction
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Jake Decker
This work is produced by The Connexions Project and licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution License
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Abstract
Student groups will design a model for a simple chicken coop and use volume, area, and perimeter
calculations to determine how much material is required for their given model. This activity will take
approximately 2 hours.
1 Challenge: Chicken Coop Construction
Unit:
Volume
Subject:
Math
Description:
Student groups will design a model for a simple chicken coop and use volume, area, and
perimeter calculations to determine how much material is required for their given model. This activity will
take approximately 2 hours.
Teacher Instruction:
Divide your class into several groups of 3 or 4 students and present the Part I of the following problem
of designing a chicken coop. Encourage the students to be create and to think about important elements of
a chicken coop, including:
•
Number of chickens you want the coop to be able to hold
•
Basic size requirements (example in content section below)
•
Preferable materials
•
Security and protection for the chickens
•
Accessibility for farmer
Give the students approximately 45 minutes to design and sketch a basic model for their chicken coops. Then
bring the class together and discuss the models the students came up with. Review the criteria discussed
previously as well as whether or not their models are reasonable. Express the strengths and weaknesses of
the dierent models, focusing on a few good examples. Have the students critically think of ways they can
improve their models and give them 15 minutes to make any improvements to their models.
PART I:
You've recently decided to raise chickens so that you can sell their eggs and eventually sell
them on the market. In order to protect and keep track of the chickens you must design and build a chicken
coop. The amount of chickens you want to raise will determine the size of the coop you need to design.
First, decide the amount of chickens that you want to keep inside of the coop.
Second, design a model for you chicken coop. Use paper and pencil to sketch your model showing the
dimensions (length, width, and height) in meters (or cm).
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Version 1.1: Nov 7, 2008 7:16 pm US/Central
†
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
http://cnx.org/content/m18183/1.1/
