Geometric Garden

 
 
Introduction                     (This Web Quest was created in Quest Garden)

Summer's coming!  In addition, what better way to get ready than to work in 
the yard?
 
Well, you are in luck!  
Read on for more information.


Task

Welcome Master Gardeners and Mathematicians!  
 
  Each group will submit the following components in their design plan:
•	Graphic plan for the gardens including several different geometric 
design elements that the gardens require 
•	Written proposal explaining your different design elements
Continue reading to learn all the details for creating your masterpiece!


Process

Follow these directions carefully for completing your design plan.  Be sure 
to examine the evaluation section too!
1.    First, your garden will measure 40' by 50'.  On your drawing, use a 
scale.  It should be one inch for every 5'.  Draw your design on an 8 1/2" 
by 11" sheet of paper.  This will help you measure your shapes more easily.  
Be sure to include a key!  You might wish to make your key on a separate 
sheet of paper.
2.    Geometric Gardens has several design requirements.  Be sure your 
design includes the following:
•	A walking path through the garden that features a tessellated 
pattern. 
•	A quadrilateral flowerbed that has at least one 60-degree angle in 
it. 
•	A trapezoidal flowerbed that is divided into thirds -- each third 
having a different type of flower. 
•	Three triangle-shaped flowerbeds.  Two of the triangles should be 
congruent and the third should be similar to the other two. 
•	There should be at least three other polygons in the garden.  One 
should have at least one 45-degree angle.  Another should have at least one 
30-degree angle.  The last should have one set of parallel lines in it.
3.    Each angle of each shape on your drawing should be measured using a 
protractor.  
4.    For each flowerbed, you should choose a type of flower to go in that 
bed.  Be sure to pick flowers that you think will go well together.  
5.    Draw your design on an 8 1/2" by 11" sheet of paper.  This will help 
you measure your shapes more easily.  Be sure to include a key!
6.    You may choose to include other elements in your design plan, such as 
trees or bushes, fountains or ponds, and other options.  Be sure to stick to 
geometric shapes.
7.    Publish a detailed description of your garden explaining your design 
and why you chose to put each feature in each place.
    
Remember to read the EVALUATION section to double-check all of your 
criteria!   
Use these websites to find ideas to help with your landscape design:
•	Home and Garden Television -- Website by the cable TV network.  All 
sorts of project ideas can be found here.  http://www.hgtv.com/
•	Do It Yourself Network -- Same as above, but a different network.  
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/
•	Better Homes and Gardens http://www.bhg.com/
•	The Garden Place http://www.gardenplace.com/



Evaluation
Below, you will find the scoring rubric for your Web Quest.  Be sure to read 
this carefully as you complete your project!
Item	Points
A walking path through the garden that features a tessellated pattern.  
	5
A quadrilateral flowerbed that has at least one 60-degree angle in it.  
	5
A trapezoidal flowerbed that is divided into thirds -- each third having a 
different type of flower.  	5
Three triangle-shaped flowerbeds.  Two of the triangles should be congruent 
and the third should be similar to the other two.  	5 for each
At least three other polygons in the garden.  One should have at least one 
45-degree angle.  Another should have at least one 30-degree angle.  The 
last should have one set of parallel lines in it.	5 for each
Type of flower listed for each flower bed	10
Garden uses the appropriate measurements (40' by 50') and is to scale	10
Design is colored neatly and has a key	10
At least two other design elements included	10
Summary and explanation of design is published neatly 	15



Conclusion
Congratulations!  You have done it!
You have completed a design plan for a brand new section of Geometric 
Gardens.  In the process, you have used geometry to design an effective plan 
and grammar skills to make a professional-sounding design plan.
If this was a project you liked, you might consider using these skills in 
other areas.  Perhaps your parents or a neighbor could use help landscaping 
their yard this summer.  On the other hand, maybe you might enjoy using your 
design skills for larger projects in the future -- like an entire home or as 
an engineer.  
Think about what skills and strategies you had to use and how you might use 
them in the future.