Alex: Land Surveying Project

This project resulted from of the collaboration of a computer aided drafting teacher, Chris Bond, and a math teacher, Lee Cable, (Hewitt-Trussville High School) to provide higher math expectations in CT and real life application in mathematics. In this hands-on and technology based project, CT students will learn the basics of civil engineering in land surveying while applying algebraic and geometric concepts. The current technology used by survey crews, for example AutoCAD, will be utilized and applied by students. With assistance from a local civil engineering firm, students will record length and angle measurements of an assigned area and calculate unknown measures using math concepts that include solving general and right triangles, setting up and solving proportions, determining scale, and using the Law of Cosines. A topographical map will then be plotted using AutoCAD and a presentation made to the engineering firm for grading and feedback. The embedded math will be co-taught with a math teacher using the real world data to make the topics relevant. In the math classroom, the math teacher will use land surveying problems designed in this project to show students how math concepts are used in real-world applications.