I use geometric drawing across the curriculum in several projects. Below is an in-progress shot of an 8th-grader’s design for a stained glass window, an assignment from my medieval history unit that incorporates symbolism along with geometric design.
In world history, we use geometric drawing when studying Roman and Islamic mosaics, and students have the option of incorporating constructions when we sketch prototypes of our own inventions when we talk about Leonardo. In math classes, we use geometric tools to make accurate models to use when working with fractions, and most students choose to use their compass and straight edge when designing tessellations. These will be our next big project for seventh grade math, so I’ll post some examples on the blog when they’re finished.
Being comfortable with these drafting tools is really important for any students who are interested in careers in engineering, architecture, or graphic design, to name just a few. Where can you give your kids opportunities to incorporate technical drawing in your curriculum?