Module 1 Introduction

Module 1 Introduction

The Art Gallery of Alberta, located in downtown Edmonton, opened its doors to the public in 2010. Designed by Randall Stout Architects, Inc., the building houses both national and international exhibitions.

With its many curves and jutting shapes suggesting prisms and cones, the architecture of the building truly is capable of capturing the observer’s attention and imagination. The design of the building complements the design of other buildings in the vicinity including Edmonton’s City Hall and the Winspear Centre.

What are the shapes that you have observed in your community? Are there buildings with interesting designs? Are there monuments or works of art that feature prisms, cones, or spheres?

While there is no doubt that the design of the Art Gallery of Alberta and other such buildings are intended to appeal to the observer, the design of most other objects follow function rather than form.

Nowadays, you can do “one-stop shopping” at the local home improvement centre. A few pieces of lumber to finish building your deck, a bookcase for your room, or a plant for your kitchen are some of the many things you can buy at these supercentres.

The next time you stop at one of these stores, pay attention to the different objects you can find there and how the shape of an object serves its function. For example, books are placed in rectangle-shaped spaces. The drinking glasses in your kitchen cupboard are cylindrical. Why do these objects have these particular shapes?

Can you imagine placing your favourite books on a triangular shelf or drinking from a glass in the shape of a sphere? All of these objects are designed to fulfill their functions. Even the medicine pills sold in pharmacies are designed to be more easily swallowed, chewed, and packaged.

There was a time long ago when the furniture you bought at a store was handmade. No two pieces of furniture were made in the same way. The bookcases and TV stands that you buy from today’s stores are all factory-made or prefabricated. In fact, the object is often packaged in pieces, ready for assembly by the buyer. Since the pieces are prefabricated, you can replace the pieces.

When you bring that entertainment unit or bookcase home from the store, you often have to assemble it yourself. It is rare to get a piece that is too wide or a screw that is too short. Each piece in a do-it-yourself kit is made to exact measurements. Each piece is made to exact specifications so that if you needed to order another part, you can get one that is identical in shape and size to the original.

When you plan where to place a new bookcase, you may need to know the dimensions of the bookcase in imperial units. Knowing how SI units convert into imperial units will help you to find the best fit possible.

In this unit you will investigate the following questions:

In this unit you will be working on a project as you learn new concepts in each lesson. This project will be based on a place that is special to you, whether it is a place in your home, in the neighborhood, or in your imagination.

You will start by examining measurement systems by using interactive multimedia and Math Labs. By using referents, which approximate SI and imperial units, you will be able to obtain good measurement estimates. You will learn how to convert between SI and imperial units and determine which units are appropriate to use for a given measurement task and a given measurement instrument. These skills will help you as you develop your project.

You will also investigate the surface area and volume of solids and learn how the properties of 3-D objects are used in design. In this part of the unit, you will conduct hands-on math labs using objects you can find around the house to help you discover the properties of spheres, cones, and pyramids. This knowledge will be transferred to your project where you will describe or design the objects that are found in your special place.

The last two lessons of the unit will focus on the concepts of trigonometry and how these can be used to solve problems where direct measurements are difficult to obtain. You will use these concepts in the analysis of the objects in your special place.