A mural for our community
A mural is a big picture made for the community. A group mural can be made of paper panels placed side by side, touching, to make one large rectangle. Imagine each panel is 10 cm wide and 15 cm tall. Its area is 10 × 15 = 150 square centimetres. A group has 6 students, so there are 6 panels. If we place 3 across and 2 down, the mural is 3 × 10 = 30 cm wide and 2 × 15 = 30 cm tall. Its perimeter is 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 = 120 cm, and its area is 30 × 30 = 900 square centimetres, which is also 6 × 150. If we place 2 across and 3 down, the mural is 20 cm wide and 45 cm tall. Its perimeter is 20 + 45 + 20 + 45 = 130 cm, and its area is 20 × 45 = 900 square centimetres. The area is the same, but the perimeter is different. To find a wall space, we need the width and the height of the whole mural. Each student then designs one panel: a word, a symbol and a message about how something helps us connect to our community. The picture shows the 3 across, 2 down layout. Each square is one panel, and the drawing is not to scale. A classmate gives feedback: two things they like, and one thing they would like to see.
| Layout | Width | Height | Perimeter | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 across, 2 down | 30 cm | 30 cm | 120 cm | 900 square cm |
| 2 across, 3 down | 20 cm | 45 cm | 130 cm | 900 square cm |
| Part | My idea |
|---|---|
| my word | sharing |
| my symbol | two hands passing a loaf of bread |
| my message | When we share, we build bridges between us. |
Mural maths and design. With a grown-up, make paper panels that are each 10 cm wide and 15 cm tall. Write the width, height and area of one panel. How many students are in your group? Draw the grid of panels for your group mural. Work out the perimeter and the area, and compare with a friend. Did you get the same answers? Why or why not? Which measurements help to find a wall space? Then design your own panel. Choose a word and a symbol for how something helps us connect to our community. Write your message and sketch it. Swap with a classmate. They write “I like your design because …” twice and “I wish your panel also had …” once. Do not paint on a wall without permission.