Lesson Plan: Blueprint for a Legend - Design Your Ultimate Tech Den

Subject: Functional Skills Mathematics (Level 1)

Topic: Measurement, Budgeting, and Data Interpretation

Target Learner: A logical thinker (age 15) needing to develop creative application of math skills.

Materials Needed

• Graph paper (1cm grid is ideal)
• Pencil and eraser
• Ruler
• Calculator
• Internet access for browsing online stores (e.g., IKEA, Amazon, PC World) OR pre-printed catalogues/flyers
• "Dream Tech Den" Project Sheet (provided below)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Measure and Calculate: Accurately calculate the area of a rectangular room.
• Budget and Manage Money: Create and manage a budget of £1,000, using addition, subtraction, and multiplication to track spending.
• Interpret Data: Read and use information (product dimensions, prices) from websites or catalogues to make informed decisions.
• Plan and Design: Create a simple scale drawing of a room layout to check if items will fit.

Lesson Structure

I. Introduction (5-10 minutes)

Hook & Scenario

"Imagine you've been given a £1,000 gift card to build your ultimate tech den, gaming room, or creative studio from scratch. You get to choose the desk, the chair, the lighting, the tech—everything. But there are two rules:

1. Everything you buy must physically fit into a specific room (4 meters long by 3 meters wide).
2. You absolutely cannot go over the £1,000 budget.

Today, you're not just dreaming about it; you are the architect and the project manager. You’ll use your logic and math skills to bring a creative vision to life. Ready to build your legend's lair?"

Stating the Objectives

"To succeed in this mission, we're going to master four key skills: calculating the room's area, managing the £1,000 budget, pulling key info from product pages, and drawing a floor plan to make sure it all fits."

II. Body: The Design Process (40-50 minutes)

This part is broken into three missions. We'll use the 'I do, We do, You do' model for each one.

Mission 1: The Blueprint (Area & Scale)

• I do (Model): "First, let's figure out our space. The room is 4 meters by 3 meters. To find the area, we multiply length by width. So, 4m x 3m = 12 square meters (12m²). That's our total floor space. Now, to draw this on graph paper, we need a scale. Let's make it simple: 2 squares on the paper will equal 1 meter in real life. So a 4-meter wall would be 8 squares long, and a 3-meter wall would be 6 squares long. I'll draw that now." (Demonstrate drawing the 8x6 square rectangle on graph paper).
• We do (Guided Practice): "What if the room had a small closet nook that was 1 meter by 1 meter? How would we calculate the total area then? (Answer: Calculate the main room and the nook separately and add them: 12m² + 1m² = 13m²). How many squares would we use to draw that 1m x 1m nook using our scale?" (Answer: 2 squares by 2 squares).
• You do (Independent Practice): "Your turn. On your graph paper, use your ruler and pencil to draw the 4m x 3m room to scale (8 squares by 6 squares). Label the length and width. Calculate the area and write it inside your drawing. This is now your official blueprint."

Mission 2: The Budget (Managing the £1,000)

• I do (Model): "Now for the money. We start with £1,000. Every item we choose will be subtracted from this total. Let's say I find a cool gaming chair for £185. On my project sheet, I'll write 'Gaming Chair' and '-£185'. My new budget is £1,000 - £185 = £815. But wait, I found a 10% off coupon! To calculate the discount, I do £185 x 0.10 = £18.50. So the new price is £185 - £18.50 = £166.50. My remaining budget is now £1,000 - £166.50 = £833.50. I'll track everything on this sheet."
• We do (Guided Practice): "Let's find a desk together. Let's open a website (like IKEA) and look for a desk. Okay, here's one for £99. Let's add that to your project sheet. What is our remaining budget now?" (Work through the subtraction together: £833.50 - £99 = £734.50).
• You do (Independent Practice): "Now it's your turn. This is where your creativity comes in. Using the websites or catalogues, find the items for your dream den. It could be a new monitor, a mini-fridge, cool LED lights, a bookshelf—anything you want. For each item, you must:
  1. Write it down on your Project Sheet.
  2. Subtract the cost from your remaining budget.
  3. Find and note its dimensions (length and width) for our next mission.
  Your goal is to get everything you want without going over £1,000."

Mission 3: The Layout (Making it Fit)

• I do (Model): "Remember my gaming chair? Its dimensions were 70cm wide by 65cm deep. I need to fit this onto my scale drawing. Since our scale is 2 squares = 1 meter (or 100cm), that means 1 square = 50cm. So, 70cm is about 1.5 squares, and 65cm is a little less than 1.5 squares. I'll draw a small rectangle representing the chair and place it in the corner, making sure there's room for it to swivel."
• We do (Guided Practice): "Let's look at the desk we found. Say its dimensions are 120cm long by 60cm wide. Using our scale (1 square = 50cm), how many squares long would that be? (A bit less than 2.5 squares). And how wide? (A bit more than 1 square). Let's draw that shape on a scrap piece of paper, cut it out, and see where it fits best on your blueprint."
• You do (Independent Practice): "Now, take all the items on your list. One by one, convert their real-life dimensions into our graph paper scale. Draw each item as a simple shape (rectangle or square) on your blueprint. Your creative challenge is to arrange the room so it's functional and looks cool. Does the desk block the door? Is there enough space to walk? This is your final design."

III. Conclusion (5-10 minutes)

Show and Tell (Learner Presentation)

"Mission complete! Now, present your final design. Walk me through your Ultimate Tech Den."

• Show the Blueprint: Explain your layout choices. Why did you place the desk there?
• Review the Budget: What items did you choose? How close did you get to the £1,000 limit? What was the best bargain you found?
• Explain the Process: What was the hardest part—staying in budget or making everything fit?

Recap and Reinforce

Let's quickly recap the skills you used:

• "How did we calculate the total floor space of the room?" (Area = length x width)
• "What math operations were most important for managing the budget?" (Subtraction, multiplication for discounts).
• "Why was creating a scale drawing more useful than just writing a list of items?" (It helps you see if things actually fit in the space).

"You've just acted as a designer, an accountant, and a project manager. These exact skills are used in real life for everything from decorating a room, to planning a party, to budgeting your own money for something you really want."

Assessment

• Formative (During the lesson):
  • Observe calculations for area and budget subtractions.
  • Ask questions during the "We Do" stages to check for understanding of scale and cost.
  • Review the Project Sheet as it's being filled out.
• Summative (End of lesson):
  • The completed "Dream Tech Den" Project Sheet and scale drawing serve as the final product.
  • Success Criteria: A successful project will have a scale drawing with all chosen items placed, and a budget sheet where the total spending is accurately calculated and does not exceed £1,000.

Differentiation and Extension

• Scaffolding (If extra support is needed):
  • Provide a curated list of 15-20 items with their prices and dimensions already listed.
  • Use whole numbers for all prices to simplify calculations.
  • Provide a pre-drawn room outline on the graph paper.
• Extension (To add more challenge):
  • Introduce a complex L-shaped room and calculate its area.
  • Add a 5% "shipping fee" to the total cost of all items, requiring percentage calculation and addition.
  • Task him with "painting the walls." He must calculate the surface area of the walls (excluding a door and window) and determine how many tins of paint are needed based on coverage information (e.g., "1 tin covers 10m²").

Project Sheet: Dream Tech Den

Designer: ______________________

Part 1: The Blueprint

Room Dimensions: 4 meters x 3 meters

Scale: 2 squares = 1 meter

Total Room Area: ____________ m²

Part 2: The Budget

Starting Budget: £1,000.00