Fence That Farmland!
The accurate measurement of perimeters has many applications in our world.Copyright (left) 2011 Ursula Koniges, AMPS GK-12 Program, NYU-Poly; (middle) Irrigation from the Air, Water Science Photos, U.S. Geological Survey; (right) National Park Service http://water.usgs.gov/edu/photos-wateruse.html#drop http://www.nps.gov/wica/parknews/09282013pr.htm
Students develop and solidify their understanding of the concept of "perimeter" as they engage in a portion of the civil engineering task of land surveying. Specifically, they measure and calculate the perimeter of a fenced in area of "farmland," and see that this length is equivalent to the minimum required length of a fence to enclose it. Doing this for variously shaped areas confirms that the perimeter is the minimal length of fence required to enclose those shapes. Then students use the technology of a LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 robot to automate this task. After measuring the perimeter (and thus required fence length) of the "farmland," students see the robot travel around this length, just as a surveyor might travel around an area during the course of surveying land or measuring for fence materials. While practicing their problem solving and measurement skills, students learn and reinforce their scientific and geometric vocabulary.
Acting like engineers, students make measurements and use technology to characterize model land areas. The precise measurement of land boundaries is essential for a variety of civil engineering tasks such as the design of roads, bridges, retaining walls and other structures. Structural and agricultural engineers use similar techniques to create structures and efficient irrigation systems. Seeing how robots may help with land surveying highlights the potential of technology to assist in many engineering challenges. During the activity, students gain an understanding of how the perimeter of a shape is also the minimum distance around a shape, a crucial detail for many engineering applications.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Determine the perimeter of shapes such as rectangles, squares and triangles.
- Explain how finding a perimeter is an important skill for civil engineers and others (for purposes such as land surveying, fencing, etc.).
- Describe the potential robots have for engineering applications.