Lesson Plan

Title – Playtime Fun
Description –Students design their own version of a play area for Primary kids using their physics and Math skills
Target Grade- 8, 9
Subject- Math, Physics, Environmental Education
Goals – To let the students infer how Mathematical concepts are used in designing play areas for children
Prerequisites –
Knowledge about
Geometrical concepts of Pythagoras’s theorem, Angles, Lines, Area, Perimeter
Local Plants
Instructional Objective(s)
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
  • Design a play area with different slides
  • Beautify the play area with locally available plants that are safe to be used in a children’s play area
  • Identify the mathematical concepts involved in designing the park and the slides

Material Needed
For each student:
  • KWL

For each group:
  • Chart paper and stationery items
  • Printout of the support material doc
  • Design process workbook

Engineering Designing
Introduction:
A typical children’s play area includes a couple of slides, a few swings, see-saw, merry-go-round, maze, pull-up bars, play-in-sand area etc.
Every structure has a mathematical concept hidden (and apparent) in it. For example, slides are generally designed according to the age. The degree of their height and steepness is decided by the angle at which they’re constructed with respect to the ground. Similarly, swings are designed based on simple pendulums; see-saws are first class levers. With so much of physics and Maths going behind them, play areas are important playgrounds of mind too, along with body and when looked at closely they provide a perfect example of how Math and Science concepts are applied in real life.
Let the students view the following videos to substantiate their knowledge about various play tools:

Part – 1 –
  1. Divide the students into teams of 3-4 each.
  2. Explain the design project to them as described here:
Design a play area for kids aged 3-12. You can use your discretion with respect to what play tools to include and in what number but the following should mandatorily be there:
  • Slides Suitable for three age groups: 3-5, 6-9, 10-12
  • Swings suitable for two age groups: 3-5, 6-12
  • Seesaw suitable for two age-groups: 3-5, 6-12
  1. In the layout, Slides should show the angle and extent of their steepness and length
  2. Different play-tool areas must be clearly demarcated and the area they cover clearly specified
  3. Each team must choose a set of plants which can be used along the boundary as well as for the general beautification of the play area

Part – 2 -
Hand each team the KWL chart and ask each student to fill the K and W columns.
Ask them to make their layouts in the engineering design process worksheets
Evaluate students’ designs while being made. Offer suggestions and corrections where needed.
Extensions
Execution of the team’s layout plan in the form of a 3D model.
Assessment and Rubrics
Pre activity – Discussion questions
What are the common play tools found in a typical children’s playground?
Elaborate on the Science hidden behind, seesaws, slides and Swings?
Activity Embedded –
Evaluation of designs and layouts.
Post activity –
Assessment Rubric
Criteria / SCORE =5 / SCORE =3 / SCORE =1
Layout / The layout showed all the specified components with their area clearly mentioned. / The layout showed 75% - 50 % of the specified components with their area clearly mentioned. / The layout showed less than 50% of the specified components with their area clearly mentioned.
Environment friendly character of the layout / Addition of plants is done tastefully and all available spaces are utilized towards this. / There are few plants added that add to the aesthetic value but some do cause obstruction / Very few plants are added. A lot of space remains under utilised
Presentation of the design / Presentation was clear throughout, transparencies were very well thought out and to the point. / Presentation was clearmost of the times, transparencies were understandable and enhanced the presentation. / Presentation was clear sometimes, transparencies were not very understandable
Team Dynamics / All members of the team participated equally towards the project / Most members of the team participated towards the project / The project was planned and executed by only one member of the show.