Miniature Park Designers

Overview

Students work as a design team to create a miniature amusement park on grid paper. They use whole-number grid units to plan attractions and pathways, identify shapes, measure lengths, and compare area and perimeter. The teacher frames “scale” as a simple drawing rule: one grid square represents one park unit.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Use a simple scale to represent a park on grid paper.
• Place attractions using rows and columns on a coordinate-style grid.
• Find the area and perimeter of rectangular attractions using unit squares and side lengths.
• Add lengths to calculate material needs and explain design choices.

Success criteria

• I can use the key: 1 grid square = 1 park unit.
• I can label where each attraction is placed using its row and column.
• I can find the area by counting equal squares and the perimeter by counting around the outside.
• I can explain how my design uses space and materials efficiently.

Curriculum links

• Geometry — recognize and draw shapes with specified attributes, including triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.
• Geometry — partition rectangles into equal shares and describe the shares using halves, thirds, and fourths.
• Measurement and Data — select appropriate tools to measure lengths and generate measurement data.
• Measurement and Data — solve addition and subtraction problems involving lengths in the same units.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Park challenge. Display the amusement park hook and challenge slide showing a colorful grid-based park map with attractions, paths, and a legend. Ask: “How can we fit exciting attractions into a small park and still leave room for people to move?” Students briefly name an attraction they would include and identify a shape it might have.

2. 4–9 min · Model the mathematics. Use the scale and measurement slides and model a rectangular Ferris wheel area measuring 3 squares by 2 squares. Explain that the key is 1 square = 1 park unit; count 6 square units for area and 10 units around the outside for perimeter. Model location as “row 2, column 4,” rather than requiring formal coordinate notation. Students help count, point to the location, and solve: “If a path is 5 units long and another is 3 units long, how many units of path are needed?”

3. 9–12 min · Plan the park. Give each student a role—designer and measurement checker—and distribute the miniature amusement park design worksheet. Students choose at least three attractions, including two rectangular attractions and one shape with a different number of sides, then sketch where each will go on the grid. They mark a starting row and column for each attraction and use the provided key.

4. 12–22 min · Design and calculate. Students collaborate on one shared park map, drawing attractions, pathways, and a boundary. They label each attraction’s shape, location, side lengths, area, and perimeter on the worksheet. Students calculate total pathway material by adding the lengths of separate paths and use subtraction if they need to determine how much unused space remains. The teacher conferences with the pair, checking that shapes do not overlap and asking, “How do you know your area or perimeter is correct?” Refer to the design steps and calculation prompts as needed.

5. 22–27 min · Gallery walk and defense. Display the gallery walk and discussion prompts. Students place their map where both can view it, then take turns presenting one design choice: an attraction’s location, its area or perimeter, or a material-saving pathway decision. Each student gives one positive observation and one question, such as “I notice…” or “Why did you place…?”

6. 27–30 min · Exit check. Students complete the final boxes on the miniature amusement park design worksheet: draw a 2-by-3 rectangular attraction, find its area and perimeter, and write its row-and-column location. They also answer: “If a 7-unit path is joined to a 4-unit path, how many units of material are needed?” Review responses immediately and ask students to use a traffic-light check-in card to show whether they feel ready, partly ready, or need more help.

Resources

• the complete amusement park design slide deck
• the miniature amusement park design worksheet
• Pencils, colored pencils, and erasers
• Grid paper
• Rulers
• Two clipboards or firm writing surfaces
• Small sticky notes for gallery-walk comments
• Optional toy blocks or square tiles for modeling area

Assessment

• During modeling, listen for accurate use of “square units,” “around the outside,” and the scale rule. Ask students to explain how they found area rather than only stating an answer.
• During design work, check that students draw recognizable shapes, label locations consistently, measure lengths in whole units, and use addition or subtraction accurately for material needs.
• Use the exit check to assess area, perimeter, location, and addition. Note whether each student can justify an answer independently or needs a follow-up model.

Differentiation

• For support, provide a partially completed grid with a boundary already drawn, use square tiles to build rectangles before drawing them, and offer sentence starters: “The area is ___ because…,” “The perimeter is ___ because…,” and “I placed it at row ___, column ___.”
• Keep the scale to 1 square = 1 unit and use only whole-number side lengths. Read worksheet directions aloud and model one example at a time for students who need reduced language or visual support.
• For EAL learners, pair spoken directions with gestures and sketches; repeatedly use and display the terms attraction, pathway, side, area, perimeter, row, and column.
• For extension, invite students to redesign one attraction so it has the same area but a smaller perimeter, or partition a rectangular space into halves or fourths for seating, gardens, or food stalls and explain the choice.