-    How does this project relate to the real world?

Geometry has a lot of say in the appearance of our city. This project has a lot to do with the architecture and design of both buildings and city blocks. It taught me how the height of buildings can be found only through triangles. Having the capability to measure distances with ease is a very useful skill. The architecture aspect is more about proportions and making sure that everything is to scale and precise. It is actually much harder than it sounds. I had to measure and re-measure my building to double check my results. I think that from now on I will always make sure to verify my results in every way possible.

-       What was the most exciting portion of this project and why? What was the least exciting portion to this project and why?

There were many elements of this project that I were nice to work on. I enjoyed making the draft of my building. I tended to prefer the manual measuring because is was easier to base the estimates off of an already known object. For me it was challenging finding known measurements because my building is currently under construction and many crucial aspects were inaccessible to me. It was a bit difficult finding ways to deal with compromising and finding new strategies but in the end I was able to estimate the height in many different and I discovered tools that I didn’t originally know were available to me. I also enjoyed drawing the building which allowed me to put my knowledge of the Franklin Institutes structure on paper

-     What did you learn from completing this project?

I learned a lot about the techniques of measuring a building that has cut outs and different heights.  I found the measuring by using triangles very useful, particularly the mirror method. This helped me understand how geometry and shapes are involved in designing of cities or structures and in our daily life. I learned a lot about compromising and finding new ways to reach a certain goal. Sometimes I reached complications, but as I went along I found them much easier to deal with. I learned ho important precision is in my life as well. I guess I never really paid attention to the thought put into each individual building.

​How does this project relate to the real world?
I learned a lot from completing this project. The main thing I learned about was how I can use triangle similarity to measure buildings. And even though my group only used the mirror method, it's very interesting that you can use multiple methods and still get around the same answer. I also learned to manage my time better. I wasn't fully aware of the due date which made the last couple of days really rushed with work and I had a lot of work to do. Also it's very important to communicate well with your group members or else you won't get the task done. 

How does this project relate to the real world?

       -The skills we learned in this project can be applied to a variety of different situations and professions. If I ever wanted to know the height of something, I can make quick approximate calculations with a mirror and a tape measure. If I wanted to go into a career in architecture, city planning, civil engineering, construction, interior design, etc, the knowledge of triangles is essential. Triangles are the basis of construction and design everywhere, from the pyramids to pie slices. Knowing how to measure triangles will give anyone an upper hand in the “real world”.

What was the most exciting portion of this project and why? What was the least exciting portion to this project and why?

       -The most exciting portion of this project was the in class time we got to go explore our block independently. Going out into the world and applying the knowledge we had learned on paper in a class environment to a large scale real life environment was exciting and invigorating. The least exciting portion of this project was the written portions of the final project. The final calculations did not come out cleanly and were frustrating to evaluate. The stick method was especially frustrating. I also had no idea how to structure my letter to the Neighborhood Association and was a little lost as to how to put together our final written report.

What did you learn from completing this project?

       -From completing this project, I learned about triangles and their application in real life situations. From measuring my building, I learned about the approximate heights of buildings around the city and how these buildings could be improved to increase the attractiveness of the area. I also learned 5+ handy new ways to measure to find an approximate height of any tall object (including the purchasing of a measuring app!). I also learned how to navigate the residential areas around SLA better than I did before. I found a new shortcut to get to the Franklin Institute, and a place where they apparently sell great hoagies.

I didn’t think I was going to be looking forward to any part of this project. After we got started using the methods to measure it kicked in, that the project wasn’t all “math”. Instead, it was trial and error, it was similar to life. I got to explain to people who questioned me about my measurements, and that was the most exciting part of this project for me. I got to prove to myself (and other people) over and over again that I learned how to use different methods to measure building heights. Also the actual act of using the methods was kind of exciting. I never used the mirror method before so going outside and finding the height our buildings was cool.
 From this project I learned to work with people who are just as controlling as I am. In that process I learned to be patient not only with others but myself. I can be very inpatient mainly when I comes to math because I want to get it done and over with. Mathematically, I learned more about proportions. I obviously learned how to use the mirror method quiet well since majority of our project was using it. Learning to use Google Maps was fun too. I never knew how to use street view or measure blocks using Google.  

​

1.            There are many ways that this project relates to the real world. For example as time goes on, renevations are done to buildings. These can cause an increase in height or lenth of the building that no one will no about unless if measured. This project helps show how you can measure the height of your buildings with simple means like a mirror and a ruler.  Another way would be when you are helping add additions to a building you can help apply the knowledge from this project to help with the additions to building. This project explains the math used in the world today.

 

2.            The most exciting part of the project is when we went outside to measure are buildings. Even though it was a bit chilly it was nice to go outside for an assignment. When we were measuring outside time flew by fast and the measurements seemed easier to make outside then when we were doing the mirror method in the cramped hall way. Being able to be on our own outside helping make the measurements for each building is why I think when we went outside to measure was the best part of the project.

 

3.            Throughout this project I learned many things.  First I learned how to measure a building in a real life scenario with the mirror method. I also learned how to work with a group when I miss a few days of the benchmark work time.  Another thing I learned was how to measure buildings with simple methods such as taking a photo of an object with a known height and using it to measure a height to go. A final thing I learned is how to make a scale a drawing of buildings using scales of many units. of measurement.

How does this project relate to the real world?

I was poking around the easy measure app and I found their instructional video, and I realized how many uses the app (and the mirror method etc.) really have. In the video these people were trying to re-arrange their apartment and they were trying to figure out if they would be able to move the couch in a certain place and still be able to see the TV. So I think that’s a totally legitimate real world use.

What was the most exciting portion of this project and why? What was the least exciting portion to this project and why?

I’m always excited about a project involving art. Since I love art and all that junk it just makes the project a lot more mentally manageable for me, knowing that after I finnish all the calculations that I can do art. My least favorite part of the project was probably having to go measure the building, the realizing your measurements were wrong. Then having to go back and re-measure only to realize that your new measurements aren’t much better. I've realized that the mirror method is a little funky, anything that relies on human involvement isn't going to be super accurate. I'd like to compare all 3 methods and see if there is one that tends to get a more accurate answer. 

What did you learn from completing this project?

I don’t think I’ll be finding myself measuring the heights of building too often (but hey, who knows).  I think the easy measure app really showed me that there are a lot of different ways to use this concept.  I feel like I’ll use this to find the height of things in the future though, like in the video I could see myself moving furniture and having to make sure that everything would fit properly.  

​Reflection Questions:-I believe that this project can be use in a real life setting. There are many occasions where we want bigger and better things, for instance remodeling our homes. What if we wanted some new windows or just paint those ugly window shutters. In these cases it would be similar to get an estimate of your building in order to buy the proper amount of materials so you’re not spending over the amount you would normally have to spend. Also, there might be a time where you have a budget and want to know if you’d have enough money to buy all of your materials once you’ve gotten the perimeter of your home and then found out how much the materials would be in all according to that. So you see those are only two example of how this project could come in handy in the real world. 





-What I learned about this project was that calculating height is hard! Not really, it is a long process but it’s fairly simple once the formula is familiar to you. It is also a very useful tool to use if you ever needed to calculate the height of something. Also learned that you should have serval verifications because it’s fairly easy to mess up when trying to calculate numbers and what not. Have a good measuring tape or tools in general would be very useful and help you complete the calculations more accurately. 

How does this project relate to the real world?

This project relates to the world by comparing to the house

builders. House Builders were made to design there own

building and to able to design they would have to figure 

out the measurements for the right size of the building. By

figuring out the height and feet.

What was the most exciting portion of this project and 

why? What was the least exciting portion to this project

and why?

It was great to work outside and work well with my team mates 

for the project and it was very detail to explain for our measurements.

I think something excited about the project was to learn something new.

What did you learn from completing this project?

I learned how to figure out to measure the height of the 

building and figuring out the feet to the house. I learned 

how to use multiple equations in order to find out the

 calculations.

Geometry Q3 Benchmark

Reflection

Course Blog Post Directions:

1. Obtain a real picture of the building you are assigned (you can include surrounding buildings if necessary).
2. Download this picture to your computer and save it to your desktop.
3. Take a picture of your building on your final drawing and send it yourself/download it on your desktop (you can include surrounding buildings if necessary).
4. Open up the application called Pages. Choose a blank document.
5. Drag your street picture and your final drawing onto this document.
6. Place them side-by-side.
7. Screen shot this picture. (To screen shot a photo you have to hold command, shift, and the number 4 down and a new cursor will appear. Drag the area of the picture you want to capture. The picture should now appear on your desktop.)
8. Finally, go to the Geometry course on Slate and upload the side-by-side image to your new post. 

•      New post should include:

o   Blue print and street pictures

o   Reflection

Reflection Questions:

•   How does this project relate to the real world?

As stated in the original project description, many architects and construction workers use the methods we’ve used in this unit to measure the heights of buildings and other large constructions. It also relates to the real world because we used actual buildings in Philadelphia. We didn’t get them from some sort of online activity, we actually went outside and looked at real places that people have built (which is very cool). We used methods that required physical movement and not just sitting in a chair, and applied real-word situations to our techniques. These are some ways it relates to the real world. 

•       What was the most exciting portion of this project and why? What was the least exciting portion to this project and why?

I would say the most exciting part of the project was being able to go outside. It was a little fun walking somewhere, taking measurements of real buildings and recording them down in a notebook like some sort of mathematician. It was fun working with my group members to get the measurements; it kind of felt like a game. A fun, educational game. I also really liked being able to write a proposal about the changes we all wanted to make to our buildings. That was fun. I can’t think of any part of the project that I particularly disliked. 

-       What did you learn from completing this project?

I learned how to properly apply the methods we learned about to real-world situations, as mentioned briefly before. I also learned a little more about the street of 208 North 21st street, which was the block our group was assigned to. I learned more about how to manage time when you can’t just hop right on your computer and do everything at once. We had to factor in finding time to actually go outside when needed and get some measurements. I can’t remember ever having a math project like that here. Those are a few of the thing’s I’ve learned.