A webquest designed for students to apply their knowledge of surface area, perimeter, and scale drawing to homeowner projects.

1. Surface Area WebQuest
Welcome
This webquest will test your knowledge and application of surface area and scaled
drawing.
Description:
Grade Level: 9-12
Curriculum: Mathematics
Keywords: surface area, geometry, scaled drawing
Author: Christina Carrion
Introduction
One day, you’ll be a homeowner, and all those weekend projects you see mom and dad doing
will be your weekend projects. Redecorating your room, fencing in the yard, landscaping, and
building a deck are some typical homeowner projects that all require math!
Task
You will create a portfolio describing the process for ONE of the following scenarios:
First scenario: Pretend you want to redecorate your room with a fresh coat of paint and some
new flooring.
Second scenario: Pretend you need to build and stain a deck.
Process
First Scenario: Measure the dimensions of your room (include your closet, if you have one) or
create your dream room. You will need the length, width, and height of your room (and closet).
Use those dimensions to calculate surface area of your walls (excluding windows and doors)
and your floor.
Choose your paint.

2. Choose your carpet, laminate, hardwood, vinyl flooring.
Calculate how much paint and flooring you will need, and also calculate the individual and total
cost of the makeover. Remember that you will put at least 2 coats of paint on your walls.
1 gallon of paint covers approximately 350 ft2
1 gallon is approximately 128 ounces.
Create a scaled illustration of your room. You may use graph paper or computer illustrative
software like Google Sketchup, Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, or try Autodesk Homestyler.
Check out these tutorials for getting started:
Sketchup, CAD, Illustrator, Homestyler
Then, design and arrange your portfolio creatively (like you’re trying to convince your parents
to let you redecorate/remodel your room). Include a table of contents, a materials list
(complete with individual materials cost), an overall total of the project, a brief description of
your calculation process, and your illustration.
Second Scenario: Design your deck and create a scaled illustration. You may use graph paper or
computer illustrative software like Google Sketchup, AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator.
Check out these tutorials for getting started:
Sketchup, CAD, Illustrator
Choose your lumber (remember to look for deck railing lumber too).
Choose your stain, and if you didn’t choose a 2 in 1 stain, choose a weather-proofing sealant.
Remember you have to put at least 2 coats of stain on your deck. Check under the
specifications tab of your stain to determine how many square feet it covers (coverage area).
Calculate how much lumber and stain will be used for the project. Include both individual prices
of your materials, and the total cost of the project.
Then, design and arrange your portfolio creatively (like you’re presenting the design to a client).
Include a table of contents, a materials list (complete with individual materials cost), an overall
total of the project, a brief description of your calculation process, and your illustration.
Evaluation

3. Criteria Poor Acceptable Exceeds
Expectations
Outstanding Score
Student
created an
organized
portfolio.
There is no
evident
organization.
0 pts
Student
created a table
of contents,
but didn’t
follow that
order. 5 pts
Student followed
their table of
contents. Papers
are in a logical
order. 8 pts
Student followed
their table of
contents, and
included page
numbers. 10 pts
10 pts
Student
created a
scale
drawing.
The scale
drawing is
incomplete
or is not
turned in. 0
pts
The scale
drawing has no
labels of
dimensions
and/or lacks
evidence of a
scale. 15 pts
The scale drawing
has an
appropriate scale,
but lacks the
scale key and/or
lacks some labels
of dimensions. 20
pts
The scale
drawing labels
all dimensions,
and a correct
scale key. 30 pts
30 pts
Student
performed
calculations
and
included a
rationale.
The
rationale is
illogical or is
not included
in the
portfolio. 0
pts
The rationale
states incorrect
calculations
and/or lacks
the description
of the project
process.
Includes many
grammar
and/or spelling
mistakes. 30
pts
The rationale
states the correct
calculations and
process of the
project. Includes
a few minor
grammar and/or
spelling mistakes.
37 pts
The rationale
clearly states the
calculations and
process of the
project.
Excellent
grammar and no
spelling
mistakes. 40 pts
40 pts
Student
included an
accurate
total cost of
the project.
The portfolio
does not
include the
total cost of
the project.
0 pts
The portfolio
includes a total
cost of the
project that is
illogical. 2 pts
The portfolio
includes a total
cost of the
project, but there
is an arithmetic
mistake. 8 pts
The portfolio
includes an
accurate total
cost of the
project
(arithmetic is
correct). 10 pts
10 pts

4. Total Score 90 pts
Conclusion
I think, from this project, you can see the advantage of acquiring surface area calculations as a
skill. It’s an excellent example of a math application.
Situation 1: Consider interior designers, or even just new homeowners, and how they go from
room to room planning their color scheme and furniture layout, and choosing paint swatches
and flooring. They research, they sketch, they present, and then they put their plan into action.
Your portfolio could actually be used!
Situation 2: Think about contractors who design and build decks. They have to research their
materials, estimate their cost, sketch the design, present their findings, and THEN build the
deck. Building the deck require even more planning!
Teacher Page
To the Teachers:
This individual project is designed to expose students to the real life applications of surface
area. They will also practice research and synthesis skills. I think they will appreciate the
technology suggestions, and enjoy learning and using the software. This project should take
approximately 4 days. I suggest 1 day (50 minutes) of research, and 2-3 days (50 minutes/day)
of computer illustration (shorter if they create the illustration by hand, the time consuming part
of computer illustration is learning the software), and then 1 day (50 minutes) of printing their
portfolio. Students can put the portfolio together at home over a weekend, as long as students
have an opportunity to print at school.
WV Math Standards:
M.O.CM.3.2 compute measures to solve real-world problems, using relationships involving
perimeter, area, surface area and volume of geometric figures.
M.O.G.3.16 derive and justify formulas for area, perimeter, surface area, and volume using
nets and apply them to solve real-world problems.
Other:

5. This project should only need minor changes to differentiate successfully.
For enrichment, consider asking students to imagine arranging furniture in their room or on
their deck. Perhaps encourage students to calculate the surface area of the windows and
choose curtains or blinds to include in their project cost. Ask them to calculate how much living
space there is in the room (the free space of the room where you can walk around) and
compare it to the amount of space taken up by furniture. They could then turn those values
into percentages.
Zunal Webquest

6. This project should only need minor changes to differentiate successfully.
For enrichment, consider asking students to imagine arranging furniture in their room or on
their deck. Perhaps encourage students to calculate the surface area of the windows and
choose curtains or blinds to include in their project cost. Ask them to calculate how much living
space there is in the room (the free space of the room where you can walk around) and
compare it to the amount of space taken up by furniture. They could then turn those values
into percentages.
Zunal Webquest