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Final project · Week 10 of 10

Build a Math City

Students combine every skill from the course to design a paper city on a grid - geometric buildings with measured heights, a bakery that sells fractions, a bank that makes change, and a survey of residents shown as a graph - then present the math behind it.

Estimated time
60-90 minutes
Skills used
Geometry, Measurement, Money, Fractions, Operations, Data, Problem solving

You're the city planner

The mayor of Math City has one job left before the grand opening: the whole city needs to be designed, and it needs to work. Every building is a shape, every street has a length, the bakery sells slices as fractions, the bank makes change, and the city planner wants a graph of what residents like best. You've trained for nine weeks. Now you're the chief designer - build a city that runs on math.

Design a small city on the grid below. Every part of your city uses math from the course: buildings are geometric shapes with a cost, the whole city has a budget, the park is a fraction of the space, and your spending becomes a graph. Plan carefully — the budget is real.

What your city must include

  • At least 5 buildings
  • Roads or paths through your city
  • A park or green space
  • A school
  • A store or market
  • A budget of $50 you stay within
  • Measurements — each grid square is 1 unit
  • At least 5 different geometric shapes
  • One fraction rule (for example, the park is about 1/4 of the city)
  • One graph or data display (your budget spending graph)
  • A written explanation of your choices

Math City planner

Pick an item, then click grid squares to place it. Click a filled square with the same item to remove it, or choose Erase. Each square is 1 unit; each item costs money per square.

Selected: School

Budget
$50
Spent
$0
Left
$50

Shapes used (0)

None yet — place some buildings to add shapes.

Your spending graph

This bar graph updates from your plan and shows how you spent your budget by category.

Buildings$0
Park$0
Roads$0

Requirement checklist

1 of 8 requirements met.

  • At least 5 buildings placed(0/5) — not done yet
  • At least one park — not done yet
  • At least one road or path — not done yet
  • Budget is not exceeded($0 / $50) — done
  • At least 5 shapes used(0/5) — not done yet
  • Fraction rule included (park fraction) — not done yet
  • Graph / data display completed — not done yet
  • Reflection completed — not done yet

Explain your city

Write a short answer for each. Your answers are saved on this device.

Your planner total is currently $0.

Place a park to create some green space.

Look at your spending graph above.

Advanced constraints (older students)

Optional challenges. The statuses update live from your plan.

  • The park is about 1/4 of the city(0% now) — not done yet
  • Roads are at least 12 units long(0/12) — not done yet
  • The city stays within $50($0) — not done yet
  • A graph shows how the budget was spent — not done yet
  • You explained one tradeoff you made — not done yet

Finish your final project

You have met 1 of 8 requirements. You can complete the checklist above, or mark the project complete when you're ready.