To extend this problem, you could consider hiring someone to do the work. This would result in a per hour charge in addition to the materials. Have the students fill in the cells template Enter headings and raw data on the template. An example of a cells template with the unit headings is shown below. Through your discussion, you will create the different costs.
Students can calculate the total costs using the spreadsheet.
Students can open the file area.xls. Students can drag across the different rectangles in the walkway to get the area . The numbers for the area are shown in the upper left corner of the spreadsheet. Students can use the numbers to multiply the dimensions of the rectangle. This dragging technique can also be used to measure the length of the borders.