Students Present to Construction Oversight Committee

In March and early April, sixth grade math classes were engaged in using their spatial and geometric skills to create a landscape design to scale for the back yard of Hawken`s new satellite location in University Circle, the Gries Center. Students needed to adhere to specific design constraints, though they had the latitude to choose optional features to enhance their plan. Students worked from an official blueprint, reconstructing the area by using a Microsoft Excel grid, then adding gardens, greenhouses, play sets, gazebos, walkways, and water features to enhance the aesthetic and educational value of their design. In addition, they included a legend to explain blueprint symbols and express the dimensions, perimeter, and area of each major item in the yard. An expense report accompanied the design to incorporate approximate costs of the buildings, gardens, topsoil, fertilizer, mulch, fencing, an irrigation system, lighting, fountains, ponds, and other yard additions. The final piece of the project was a letter, addressed to Mr. Dan Hurwitz, chair of the Construction Oversight Committee of the Hawken Board of Trustees. In the letter, students were to persuade the committee members that their design was the most favorable based on use of yard space, aesthetics, safety, educational value, and economy. Mr. Hurwitz and the committee members graciously agreed to hear student proposals. The presentations by Hannah Aliazzi and Hannah Krall, Desmond Lawson and Ben Hurwitz, and Hilary Vogelbaum were given in the board room of Developers Diversified Realty. These young ladies and gentlemen spoke confidently about their original designs, focusing on play equipment to enhance social development, educational resources to help children understand and appreciate nature, and environmental preservation. This experiential educational opportunity, immersed in a professional setting with real-world mathematical applications, clearly enhanced student learning. Thank you, Mr. Hurwitz, Mr. Wanner, and Mr. Looney for listening to the presentations and for giving your time and interest to the extraordinary efforts of these sixth grade students!