The student from Mr. Deihl’s “Mathematical Connections and Practice” Class have been using mathematical methods to make scale models. They took apart a cereal box, tissue box, or other common household item by carefully unfolding it to get a “net” or two-dimensional surface of the original three-dimensional box.
Then, using an architect’s scale, they accurately measured in inches the shape of the net, and translated it using a scale of 1” = 3/8”, or another scale such as 3/16” to diminish the original size.
One student began with a small box and expanded it by 1.5 times.
These are all examples of dilation, a geometric transformation in scale between similar shapes, which have all angles congruent to the original pre-image, but whose sides are in proportion to it; in most cases = D3/8.
This exercise has many applications including making scale-models for architects, movie sets, and urban planning. Students then critiqued each others’ work, using a rubric in three categories: accuracy, neatness, and imagination.
Life at East-West 