Climb up the staircase of engineering knowledge. After watching a video of a carpenter measuring out steps for a set of stairs, pupils learn about the terminology and regulations involving stairs. They see how to use a rule of thumb when making calculations involving measurements for stairs.

Concepts

slope, ratios, technology resources

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Instructional Ideas

• Invite a carpenter or architect to give a presentation
• Have the class go out and measure the rise and going of a set of stairs
  

Classroom Considerations

• Note that lesson briefly mentions trigonometry
• Keep in mind that staircase and building regulations may differ from local laws
  

Pros

• Provides some problems for learners to consider
• Includes a presentation to use during instruction, available in both PowerPoint and PDF formats
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

7.EE.B.3 HSG-SRT.C.8 HSG-MG.A.3