An Illuminating Design

Electricity is the most readily available power source in our world. We power everything
from toasters and microwaves, to laptops and automobiles using electricity. Without it,
the world would be a very different place. Just imagine if you had to power your laptop
with a steam engine!

For this project, you will design a space (home, apartment, restaurant, school, etc.).
Regardless of the type of space, the design will contain a minimum of 4 rooms of
varying sizes (area and perimeter of each will be calculated by you during the design
process). Each room will also need to be illuminated because who wants to sit in a dark
room all day?! You will make use of your skills in multiplication, as well as apply your
knowledge of circuits, to create a fully functional space.

We look forward to seeing your designs!

Learning Outcomes
A successful design will clearly illustrate the following skills:

Math
● Student demonstrates an understanding of addition and its use in calculating perimeter
● Student demonstrates an understanding of multiplication and its use in calculating area
● Student demonstrates an understanding of how to calculate perimeter (the distance around a
room) and area (the two dimension space a room takes up)

Science
● Student recognizes the potential dangers involved in using sources of electrical currents,
consistently applying safe practices
● Student demonstrates an understanding of the need for a continuous loop in a circuit,
applying this logic to both series and parallel circuits
● Student draws and interprets circuit diagrams using symbols for various items in the circuit
(e.g. battery, switches, lights, etc.)

Steps for completing this project

Design & Planning Phase

1. You will work in groups of 2-3 to complete this project.
2. Decide what type of space you would like to create. The sky's the limit, so feel free to be
creative!
3. Create a plan view (bird’s eye view) rough blueprint of your design. Your design must include a
minimum of 4 separate spaces of different sizes. When your sketch is completed, show it to
your teacher for approval before moving on to the next step.
4. Create a good copy of your blueprints. You MUST use a ruler at all times when making your
blueprints. All rooms should be in the shape of squares or rectangles. Using other shapes (like
triangles and circles will make calculating the area very difficult).
5. Measure the lengths of each “wall” of your blueprints, rounded to the nearest centimeter,
writing down the lengths directly on the blueprints.
 6. Calculate the perimeter of each room by adding the lengths of all sides. Calculate the total
perimeter of your space by adding together the lengths of all EXTERNAL WALLS. Record
the results on the provided data sheet.
7. Calculate the area (in cm2) of each room and indicate the value on the data sheet provided.
8. Calculate the total area of your space and record on the data sheet provided.

Build Phase
9. Start building! Measure out the walls for your space on pieces of cardboard. Your teacher will
only cut out the pieces when they are accurately outlined in advance. USE A RULER! The
lengths needed are indicated on your blueprints.

Electrical Phase
10. Time to plan your electrical system! The first step is to diagram your electrical system. To do
this, you will need to use your knowledge of series and parallel circuits. The goal is for your
group to know exactly what materials (number of wires, bulbs, buzzers, motors, batteries,
switches) you will need before even beginning to install them. Use the attached sheet to
illustrate your design.

Each design should have:

- At least one bulb to illuminate each room
- A switch to control the light within each room
- A buzzer (for the doorbell or any other use you can think of)
- OPTIONAL - a motor to do whatever you can think of! I look forward to seeing what
you come up with.
11. Your goal is to be able to control each of the electrical items separately using switches, while
using only a single power source.
 Data Collection Sheet

Room #1
Perimeter Area

Wall Length #1 = Using multiplication, calculate the area of

the room in cm2
Wall Length #2 =

Wall Length #3 =

Wall Length #4 =

Total Perimeter =

Room #2
Perimeter Area

Wall Length #1 = Using multiplication, calculate the area of

the room in cm2
Wall Length #2 =

Wall Length #3 =

Wall Length #4 =

Total Perimeter =
Room #3
Perimeter Area

Wall Length #1 = Using multiplication, calculate the area of

the room in cm2
Wall Length #2 =

Wall Length #3 =

Wall Length #4 =

Total Perimeter =

Room #4
Perimeter Area

Wall Length #1 = Using multiplication, calculate the area of

the room in cm2
Wall Length #2 =

Wall Length #3 =

Wall Length #4 =

Total Perimeter =
 **The following is only required if your design is more than 4 rooms**

Room #5
Perimeter Area

Wall Length #1 = Using multiplication, calculate the area of

the room in cm2
Wall Length #2 =

Wall Length #3 =

Wall Length #4 =

Total Perimeter =

Room #6
Perimeter Area

Wall Length #1 = Using multiplication, calculate the area of

the room in cm2
Wall Length #2 =

Wall Length #3 =

Wall Length #4 =

Total Perimeter =
 Wiring Diagram
This is a very important part of the design process, so take your time. Here you will create a
diagram to plan out the electrics of your space, similar to the example provided below. Begin
your design on a separate piece of paper, then use this page for your final copy. *Note how
symbols are used to represent different components.