Article
Math, Cool STEM Jobs,

Tree House Builder

Daryl McDonald designs incredible hideouts above the forest floor

By Greg Uyeno
From the March/April 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will classify shapes within a tree house blueprint they design.

Lexile: 720L; 600L
Focus Area: Geometry,
Standards
  • CCSS: 3.G.A.1 TEKS: 3.6A, 3.6B

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Lexile® measure

  • 720L
  • 600L

Courtesy of Nelson Treehouse 

A company called Nelson Treehouse and Supply built this structure for watching birds in a Washington forest.

Anna Gardner was 5 years old when her family moved to North Carolina. She had one request: a tree house.

She got her wish. But it’s no ordinary tree house. It has a kitchen and dining area, a lounge, and a balcony. It even has electricity and plumbing!

Anna’s tree house was built by a company called Nelson Treehouse and Supply. Daryl McDonald works there as a tree house designer.  The tree houses they build take a lot of work, and they can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Anna Gardner was 5 years old. Her family had just moved to North Carolina. There was one thing she wanted her new house to have: a tree house.

Anna got her wish. But her tree house is special. It has a kitchen and dining area. It also has a lounge and a balcony. It even has electricity and plumbing!

Anna’s tree house was built by a company called Nelson Treehouse and Supply. Daryl McDonald works there as a tree house designer. The tree houses they build take a lot of work. They can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Choosing a Tree

Courtesy of Nelson Treehouse 

Daryl McDonald

The first step McDonald takes when building a fancy tree house is to pick the right group of trees to support it. He looks for healthy trees that are strong enough to hold the weight of the structure.

Each tree's trunk should be at least 12 inches in diameter. The trees in the group should all be between 6 to 12 feet apart. Spreading the weight of the tree house across a larger area provides more support.

McDonald avoids building in trees with shallow roots. That's because they can easily topple over! He also checks for fungus. This sign of rot could eventually weaken the trees.

When McDonald builds a fancy tree house, his first step is to pick the right group of trees. He looks for healthy trees that are strong enough to hold the tree house’s weight.

McDonald looks for trees with trunks that are at least 12 inches in diameter. Each tree in the group should be between 6 to 12 feet apart from the others. McDonald needs to spread the weight of the tree house across a large area. This method provides more support.

If a tree has shallow roots, McDonald doesn’t use it. These trees can easily fall over. He also checks for fungus. That’s a sign of rot. Rot can make trees weak.

Courtesy of Nelson Treehouse 

It’s important to build a solid platform for a tree house.

Treetop Blueprint

Once he chooses a site, McDonald sketches a drawing of the tree house. He adds windows and balconies in places that will provide the best views.

McDonald’s team also uses drones to plan the designs. These robots fly around the trees, taking hundreds of photos. Computers combine the images into a 3-D model. This step makes the plan more accurate. It also lets builders construct some of the structure off-site.

“People love tree houses,” says McDonald. “They’re a way to get closer to nature.”

Once he chooses a site, McDonald draws a plan of the tree house. He decides where to add windows and balconies.

McDonald’s team also uses drones to plan the designs. These robots fly around the trees. They take hundreds of photos. Computers combine the images into a 3-D model. This step makes the plan more accurate. It also lets builders create parts of the tree house off-site.

“People love tree houses,” says McDonald. “They’re a way to get closer to nature.”

Math Talk

 Why is it important for tree house designers to plan before they build?

Math Talk

 Why is it important for tree house designers to plan before they build?

Hands-on Math: Make a Tree House Blueprint

When Daryl McDonald designs a tree house, he creates a blueprint, or a sketched plan for how the tree house will look. Draw a blueprint for your own awesome tree house!

Materials

graph paper • colored pencils • ruler

Procedure

STEP 1
Think about how you would like your tree house to look and what features it will have, such as a balcony and windows.

STEP 2
Sketch a design for the outside of your tree house on the graph paper. Include at least 5 quadrilaterals, including at least 1 rectangle and 1 trapezoid, in your design.

STEP 3
On the sketch you drew, label the features your tree house will have.

Hands-on Math: Make a Tree House Blueprint

When Daryl McDonald designs a tree house, he creates a blueprint, or a sketched plan for how the tree house will look. Draw a blueprint for your own awesome tree house!

Materials

graph paper • colored pencils • ruler

Procedure

STEP 1
Think about how you would like your tree house to look and what features it will have, such as a balcony and windows.

STEP 2
Sketch a design for the outside of your tree house on the graph paper. Include at least 5 quadrilaterals, including at least 1 rectangle and 1 trapezoid, in your design.

STEP 3
On the sketch you drew, label the features your tree house will have.

Analysis

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

How many rectangles did you include in your tree house blueprint?

How many rectangles did you include in your tree house blueprint?

Did you include more rectangles or more trapezoids?

Did you include more rectangles or more trapezoids?

Why did you choose to include the shapes you did? Explain.

Why did you choose to include the shapes you did? Explain.

Continue Your Learning

  • Play the game “Polygon Production” (above) to practice classifying shapes.
  • Build your own tree house! Use cardboard boxes to create a 3-D tree house. You can cut out doorways, stack boxes on top of each other to create multiple levels, or use pieces of cardboard to create ramps and staircases. Get creative! When you have finished your design, identify at least 3 shapes you used.
  • Play a game of Shape Questions. Think of a shape. Then have a friend or family member ask you questions about your shape, such as how many sides and what kinds of angles it has. If your friend or family member can guess the shape you are thinking of within 3 questions, they win! Play 3 more rounds, switching back and forth between questioner and shape selector.

Continue Your Learning

  • Play the game “Polygon Production” (above) to practice classifying shapes.
  • Build your own tree house! Use cardboard boxes to create a 3-D tree house. You can cut out doorways, stack boxes on top of each other to create multiple levels, or use pieces of cardboard to create ramps and staircases. Get creative! When you have finished your design, identify at least 3 shapes you used.
  • Play a game of Shape Questions. Think of a shape. Then have a friend or family member ask you questions about your shape, such as how many sides and what kinds of angles it has. If your friend or family member can guess the shape you are thinking of within 3 questions, they win! Play 3 more rounds, switching back and forth between questioner and shape selector.
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (6)
Question & Answer Sheets
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (6)
Question & Answer Sheets
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1.  SPARK ENGAGEMENT.

Before or after reading the article, spark a discussion based on the following questions.

  • Would you want to own a tree house? Why or why not? 
  • Name 3 features that your perfect tree house would have. 
  • If you wanted to draw a tree house, what shapes would you use?

2. INTRODUCE THE MATH CONCEPT AND VOCABULARY

  • What is the difference between a 2-D shape and a 3-D shape? (A 2-D shape is flat and has only two dimensions, while a 3-D shape is solid and has three dimensions.) 
  • What are some examples of 2-D shapes? (Answers will vary.) 
  • Are there any shapes that don’t have straight lines? (Yes; answers will vary. Possible answers: circles and ovals) 
  • Can you combine 2-D shapes to make other images or shapes? Explain. (Yes; answers will vary. Possible answer: You can combine two squares to make a rectangle.) 
  • Play the math video “Shapes All Around Us.”

3. WORK THROUGH THE “WHAT TO DO” BOX.

  • What shapes do you plan to use in your blueprint? (Answers will vary.) 
  • What is the difference between a quadrilateral and a triangle? (A quadrilateral has four straight sides. A triangle has three straight sides.) 
  • What tools or items can you use to help you draw your blueprint? (Answers will vary. Possible answers: ruler, straightedge, compass)

4. REINFORCE WITH MATH PRACTICE.

Have students complete questions 1 through 3.

TEACHER’S TIP:

Encourage precision from students when they draw their blueprints. Have them trace objects around the classroom to create circles and use rulers to create straight lines. —Victoria J. Dixon, San Antonio, TX

TEACHER’S TIP:

Encourage precision from students when they draw their blueprints. Have them trace objects around the classroom to create circles and use rulers to create straight lines. —Victoria J. Dixon, San Antonio, TX

Journal Reflection:

Daryl McDonald methodically plans each tree house he builds. Have students write in their journals about a life goal they want to achieve, such as winning a sports competition or earning a good grade. Then have them list five steps they will need to take in order to achieve that goal.

Journal Reflection:

Daryl McDonald methodically plans each tree house he builds. Have students write in their journals about a life goal they want to achieve, such as winning a sports competition or earning a good grade. Then have them list five steps they will need to take in order to achieve that goal.

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