week 7

Understand and apply concepts related to: Designing gaming room layouts (IT) 
By the end of this session, learners will be able to:

1. Calculate and compare the area and perimeter of various desk and equipment layouts.
2. Apply mathematical reasoning to solve a realistic spatial design challenge.
3. Work collaboratively to simulate real-life planning and make design-based decisions.
4. Reflect on how their individual mathematical strengths support team problem-solving.

Activity Title: Using Area and Perimeter to Plan Desk and Equipment Space

Maths Focus:

• Calculating area and perimeter of 2D shapes.

• Applying measurements to real-world layouts (e.g., desks, monitors, chairs, cables, storage units).

• Understanding spatial planning and optimising space in a digital workspace.

Context / Scenario:

You have been asked by the college’s IT Support Team to design a new Digital Support Lab layout.
The room needs to comfortably fit six computer desks, a technician’s station, and equipment storage areas while ensuring enough space for movement and accessibility.

To achieve this, you must apply area and perimeter calculations to plan the best use of space.

Activity Breakdown

Task 1- Scenario-Based Investigation 

Task Description:
Students are given a floor plan (either printed or displayed on screen) showing a rectangular room, e.g. 8 metres × 6 metres.

Your equipment selection with measurements are provided below, if you feel that there are others that might need to be added to this list you are free to add them.

• Desk: 1.5 m × 0.8 m

• Chair space: 0.5 m × 0.5 m

• Monitor stand: 0.4 m × 0.3 m

• Printer table: 1.0 m × 0.6 m

• Network rack: 1.2 m × 0.6 m

Student Instructions:

• Work out the area and perimeter for each item.

• Determine how many desks and other items can realistically fit into the lab space while maintaining 1 metre of walking space around each desk.

• Sketch their proposed layout to scale (using graph paper or an online layout tool such as Classroom Architect).

Notes:
Think like IT technicians - considering cable management, air flow for computers, and accessibility for maintenance.

Task 2 - Interactive Digital Simulation 

Software Focus: Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Excel (students choose)

Objective

To simulate a real-world IT workspace layout using Microsoft software tools to model area and perimeter digitally, and to test how different arrangements of desks and equipment affect available space and accessibility.

This task brings together maths, digital design, and decision-making, encouraging students to apply measurements in a realistic context while exploring the flexibility of Microsoft’s built-in features for spatial planning.

Digital Tools Option

Choose one of two Microsoft programs based on  your individual strengths.

1. Microsoft PowerPoint - For those who prefer a visual and design-based approach.

   • Use the Insert -> Shapes tool to create scaled rectangles and squares.

   • Each shape represents a desk, chair area, or equipment item.

   • Use the Format -> Size option to set exact centimetre measurements that correspond to metres (e.g. 1 cm = 0.5 m).

   • Use Smart Guides and Align -> Distribute Evenly to keep layout spacing accurate.

   • Students calculate the area and perimeter of each shape and annotate their plan using text boxes.

2. Microsoft Excel - For those who prefer a data-driven and mathematical approach.

   • Use the spreadsheet grid as a scaled floor plan (e.g. each cell = 0.25 m).

   • Merge cells to form desks, chairs, and other equipment spaces.

   • Apply Borders to define room outlines and object boundaries.

   • Create a simple table to record dimensions and use Excel formulas for area = length × width and perimeter = 2 × (length + width).

   • Use conditional formatting to colour-code different areas (e.g. blue for workspaces, grey for walkways).

Task Instructions

1. Open PowerPoint or Excel and set up a new file titled:
   “Digital Support Lab - Space Plan [Your Name]”

2. Re-create the given room dimensions (8 m × 6 m).

3. Insert shapes or cell blocks to represent the following equipment:

   • 6 desks (1.5 m × 0.8 m each)

   • 6 chair spaces (0.5 m × 0.5 m each)

   • 1 printer table (1.0 m × 0.6 m)

   • 1 network rack (1.2 m × 0.6 m)

   • Technician’s desk (2.0 m × 0.8 m)

4. Ensure there is at least 1 metre of walkway space between each desk and wall.

5. Use formulas or calculations to show total occupied and free space.

6. Add notes or callouts explaining:

   • Why each desk or item was placed where it is.

   • How you calculated area and perimeter.

   • Whether the layout meets accessibility and safety considerations.

Extension Challenges (Optional)

• Calculate the percentage of the room occupied by furniture vs. free space.

• Simulate alternative layouts to see how adding more desks or larger monitors affects movement space.

• Insert a screenshot of your finished layout into Word and write a short reflection paragraph explaining how maths influenced your design decisions.

Expected Outcomes

• A completed digital floor plan showing all desks and equipment accurately scaled.

• Evidence of area and perimeter calculations in PowerPoint annotations or Excel cells.

• A brief written justification for design choices.

Task 3 - Practical Worksheet Task (15–20 mins)

Objective: Reinforce the maths skills with structured calculation practice.

Complete a worksheet containing:

• Short problems calculating the area and perimeter of desks, computer mats, screens, and cables.

• A “scale drawing challenge” where they calculate the real-world dimensions from a scaled plan (e.g. 1 cm = 0.5 m).

• Worded problems linking to digital contexts, e.g.:

  • “You are setting up 8 desks with a surface area of 1.2 m² each. What is the total area needed?”

  • “A cable runs around the perimeter of a 4 m × 5 m room. How many metres of cable are required?”

Download file

Optional Extension

Link the activity to Health and Safety or Network Infrastructure Planning:

• You can calculate cable runs along the perimeter (e.g. total network cable length).

• Calculate space efficiency percentages (usable vs unused space).

• Discuss ergonomics and accessibility as part of inclusive design.

Understand and apply concepts related to: Setting up stage lighting angles (Esports) 

Using angles and triangles in set design. 
 
Activities: 
1. Scenario-based investigation. 
2. Interactive group simulation based on the topic. 
3. Practical worksheet task to reinforce the maths skill (see worksheet attached below). 
 
**British Value – Individual Liberty:** Learners apply maths in a way that suits their strengths. 

 
[Worksheet embedded here: Week_17_TaskSheet.docx]

Understand and apply concepts related to: Packaging design for products (Business) 

Surface area and nets for boxes. 
 
Activities: 
1. Scenario-based investigation. 
2. Interactive group simulation based on the topic. 
3. Practical worksheet task to reinforce the maths skill (see worksheet attached below). 
 
**British Value – Individual Liberty:** Learners apply maths in a way that suits their strengths. 

 
[Worksheet embedded here: Week_18_TaskSheet.docx] 

Last Updated
2025-11-10 10:13:35