BlocksCAD Geometry

Building and design challenges for grade 5-8 geometry review.

Robot
Robot Assembly

Description: Uh-oh! Your mini-robot fell apart! Use translations and rotations to move the pieces together to get the robot on the right, and then try to add eyes and a smile!

Standards Alignment: Coordinate axes (5.G.A.1, 5.G.A.2) and transformations (8.G.A.2, 8.G.A.3, 8.G.A.4)

Instructions: You'll see code for each of the different robot body parts. Remember that rotations happen around the origin (center), so if you're having trouble think about the order of your translations and rotations. This basic rotation video and this rotations away from the origin video may help you! You can use the color block (from the Transforms menu) to add color once you make eyes and a mouth.

TTP
Triangle Target Practice

Description: Use translations, rotations, and the scale block to hit a series of targets!

Standards Alignment: Coordinate axes (5.G.A.1, 5.G.A.2) and transformations (8.G.A.2, 8.G.A.3, 8.G.A.4)

Instructions: The green starting block and level 1 target will be enabled. Place Transform blocks around the green starting triangle block to move it to the first target. Watch this quick introduction video to see how to move to the next level. If you accidentally delete the green triangle, you can use the back button at the top of your window. This quick loops video will help with the last two levels! Pay close attention to the order of your Transforms as you try to hit these targets!

You can try a simpler version of this game that only uses translations and rotations here.  

Geometric Gems
Geometric Gems

Description: You have inherited a box of gems and need to determine how much they are worth!

Standards Alignment: Surface area and volume (6.G.A.2, 7.G.B.4, 8.G.C.9)

Instructions: Examine the code for each gem. Remember that the BlocksCAD units are in millimeters (mm). These gems are all worth $0.25 / cubic millimeter (mm^3). Can you calculate the volume of these gems so that you can determine their worth? Jewelers also like gems with high surface area; can you calculate the surface area of any of these gems? See if you and a classmate agree on the different prices for each gem!

Scale City
Scale City

Description: Create a scale model of one of the world's famous buildings!

Standards Alignment: Geometric figures and scale factors (7.G.A.1) and surface area (7.G.B.6)

Instructions: Choose one of these four famous buildings - the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Empire State Building, the Taj Mahal, or Big Ben - and create a model that is 50 BlocksCAD units (millimeters) tall. Make sure all of the parts of the building are to scale by examining the actual dimensions of these buildings. What scale factor do you need to use for your building to convert the total height of the building to the 50 mm height that you want? How much paint would you need to paint the different parts of your building?