Construction and building

The following three booklets were produced as material to support Indigenous students completing courses or certificates associated with construction at the Northern Peninsula Area College, Bamaga.

Construction and Building Booklet VC1: Mathematics behind Dome Construction using Earthbags

Booklet VC1 covers circles, circle formulae, circle construction, circle relationships, and domes. It is based on the idea that it is important to give students a wide understanding and feeling for circles (e.g., why are the earth, moon, and sun spheres; why does spinning clay give a circular result; how is the circle related to ecology, balance, recycling; why are circles good for wheels) as part of formal mathematics ideas such as the formulae for circumference, area, and volume. This means that the booklet has investigations that look at circle puzzles and designs, and at what can be called circle metaphors (that is, the role of circles in culture – e.g., circle of life, circle of time, circle of friends, etc.), and other uses of circles (e.g., Ying and Yang), including investigations of uses of circles in Indigenous cultures.

Construction and Building Booklet VC2: Mathematics behind Dome Construction using Earthbags

Booklet VC2 covers rate, ratio, speed and mixes and is based on the idea that it is important to give students a wide understanding and feeling for rate and ratio as well as how to apply rate and ratio to Earthbag buildings. It looks at multipliers and a technique called double number line to assist students to understand how to solve rate and ratio problems. Booklet VC2 also contains activities and investigations. However, as students progress the focus of the booklet tends to remain on straightforward activities with the occasional investigation.

Construction and Building Booklet VC3: Mathematics behind Construction in Horticulture

Booklet VC3 focuses on the mathematics behind construction in horticulture, introducing measurement, and focusing on angle, shape, area and volume, and optimisation.