My Take on the Anthropometry Unit

In case you didnt know, anthropometry is the measurement of man, which is what we found
out during an unusual English class. During this class, we sat in chairs that were too small, and
wrote what we learned on a sticky note with a dry-erase marker. Our teacher had us do this to
explain why anthropometry was important. Anthropometry is split up into four sections, and we
studied one section of anthropometry for each class: ergonomics (how things are made to fit
people, unlike the small chairs) for science, anthropology (the study of cultures) for literature,
biometrics (the measurement of the physical features of man), and wellness and nutrition for
global studies. You might notice that English is missing, and that is because we were introduced
to anthropometry in English, so our English teacher didnt get a subject. After learning
everything, our teachers asked us to answer a question using anthropometry. The question:
What is the optimal learning environment for a sixth grader?
To answer this question, our teachers put us in groups of two and sent us on a task. In this
task, we would select a classroom and make it the best classroom for sixth graders. We had to
use biometrics, ergonomics, and anthropology. My partner and I first gathered supplies and
thought of their uses. Next, we planned what to put on the poster, we decided to put the floorplan
on the poster and have word boxes explaining each object on the floorplan. I made the title and
glued on the floorplan, after letting the floorplans glue dry, we put on the word boxes explaining
each object. We then thought of making a model of a lab table, which we thought was very
innovative. I made the lab table using paper, balsa wood, and some foam board. Finally, I
painted the lab-table blue. I was very proud of our results, although the poster could have used
more pictures and the lab-table could have used a bit more detail.

Unsurprisingly, the optimal learning environment for a sixth-grader is a classroom that

can be rearranged in many ways and still be efficient. During this project, I learned that studying
different cultures could also help us reflect on our own, thanks to the anthropology unit in
literature. Next door, in Global Studies during our wellness and nutrition unit, I learned how to
make sure I get the right nutrients. I learned many things designing this classroom, one of
which was how to work efficiently on my own. I found planning the project and finding the scale
for the model was surprisingly easy, my partner and I agreed on everything. Something I found
difficult was knowing when to stop working on a part of the project, one part of my brain wanted
it perfect, while the other part wanted to go on and finish the project. In the end, I achieved
everything, although some parts could have used some more work, this work was my partners
job to complete. In the end, we had a good action plan and we followed it.