Scaled map lengths
Check a printed scale before converting a drawn route into a model distance.
Adult planning suggestion: about 9–12 · Shape & spatial thinking
- Players
- 1–4 cooperatively
- Time
- 15–25 minutes
- Materials
- Ruler,50 mm calibration bar and right-angle route
Prepare
The supplied map uses scale 1:100: one millimetre represents 100 mm, or 0.1 m. Print at 100% with browser headers off. Measure the calibration bar; it must be 50 mm before treating the map as physically to scale.
Play
The route goes A to B horizontally 50 mm, then B to C vertically 30 mm. Measure both legs and add them. Follow the stated two-leg route; do not replace it with a diagonal shortcut.
Worked example
The drawing route is 80 mm, so the model route is 8000 mm=8 m. AB alone represents 5 m; BC represents 3 m. Write a unit at every conversion instead of calling 80 an answer with no unit.
Finish and check
Without a ruler or accurate printer, copy the labeled plan and use the stated nominal lengths 50 mm and 30 mm as a calculation-only exercise. Mark that version not measured to scale. Do not report that a real room has been surveyed.
Adaptation and limits
Finish when a partner checks the calibration result, leg sum, multiplier 100 and final conversion to metres. Scaling the paper to fit changes physical lengths: if the bar is not 50 mm, use the nominal-length alternative or reprint, rather than trusting a ruler result from the resized map.
Purpose, observation and provenance
Within this activity: Check a printed scale before converting a drawn route into a model distance.
Record the measured calibration length, or explicitly label the nominal-length alternative before converting units.
Our rules, examples and printable diagrams are separately prepared. The earliest inventor of the broader mechanism is not established here.
OpenStax: Proportions and their applications — Reference supports proportional conversion; the map and calibration drawing are original.
Secondary practice: Cooperation and explaining a check.
For a class of 30, use ten groups of three. Prepare one player-material set per group and keep the host key with the adult. Rotate operator, recorder and checker after each worked example; a reader or scribe may help without choosing answers. Avoid public ranking or diagnostic labels.
Age bands are planning suggestions. Background references may address older learners and do not validate suitability for this age band. Goals describe observable actions, not measured long-term gains or institutional endorsement.
Free alternative: Copy the supplied grids, labels and cards onto reused paper. No specialist product is needed. Adults may prepare pieces or act as a scribe.
Printable materials
Preview at 100% scale, with browser headers and footers off. Cut with suitable help. Keep host keys separate. This is a manual tabletop kit, not an online opponent, automatic judge or solver.
Rules to keep beside the materials
- The supplied map uses scale 1:100: one millimetre represents 100 mm, or 0.1 m. Print at 100% with browser headers off. Measure the calibration bar; it must be 50 mm before treating the map as physically to scale.
- The route goes A to B horizontally 50 mm, then B to C vertically 30 mm. Measure both legs and add them. Follow the stated two-leg route; do not replace it with a diagonal shortcut.
- The drawing route is 80 mm, so the model route is 8000 mm=8 m. AB alone represents 5 m; BC represents 3 m. Write a unit at every conversion instead of calling 80 an answer with no unit.
- Without a ruler or accurate printer, copy the labeled plan and use the stated nominal lengths 50 mm and 30 mm as a calculation-only exercise. Mark that version not measured to scale. Do not report that a real room has been surveyed.
- Finish when a partner checks the calibration result, leg sum, multiplier 100 and final conversion to metres. Scaling the paper to fit changes physical lengths: if the bar is not 50 mm, use the nominal-length alternative or reprint, rather than trusting a ruler result from the resized map.
Scaled map lengths — play materials
| Leg | Drawing mm | Model mm | Model m |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
Host check — keep private until finished
At a verified 1:100 scale,80 mm route represents 8 m.
These are model answers or legal examples, not records of an experiment or learner outcomes.