A Glossary of Common Build SF Terms

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We use the terms listed below throughout the curriculum. Please peruse the list and refer back to it when needed.

Golf Vocabulary

• Club: A metal rod about 45 inches long with a thickened end used to hit a golf ball.
• Green: The grassy area containing the golf hole.
• Handicap: The rating of a golfer's ability, which represents the number of strokes needed to finish a course; the lower the handicap, the better the golfer.
• Hazard: An obstacle that makes it harder to get a golf ball into the hole, including a sharp turn, a solid block, or a moving element over the hole.
• Miniature golf: A miniature version of a golf course in which players hit a golf ball short distances into a hole. Obstacles or hazards make the game more difficult; the scenery creates a playful atmosphere.
• Par: The number of strokes (swings that connect with the ball) it takes an experienced player to get the golf ball into the hole.
• Putter: A type of club that players use to hit the ball short distances (usually several feet).
• Tee: The small mound or peg from which players begin to play each golf hole; also the act of placing the ball on the tee.
• Tee off: To hit the golf ball from a tee.

Math Vocabulary

• Angle: Where two lines meet, such as the place where two walls come together to form a corner.
• Area: A measurement of two-dimensional space. In a quadrilateral, the area is the length times the width.
• Estimation: An educated guess on an amount or size, often based on comparisons.
• Measurement: The act of determining the dimensions or volume of an object.
• Perimeter: The border around a two-dimensional shape (or the length of that border).
• Polygon: A closed shape with three or more sides; it can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional.
• Pythagorean theorem: The rule that the square of the length of the hypotenuse (longest side) of a right triangle is the sum of the squares of each of the other sides of the triangle.
• Slope: The tangent of the angle of inclination of a line, or the slope of the tangent line for a curve or surface.
• Volume: The measurement of three-dimensional space within a three-dimensional shape.

Design Vocabulary

• 2-D (two dimensional): A description of a visual composed of only length and width.
• 3-D (three dimensional): A description of a visual composed of length, width, and height.
• Composition: The visual arrangement of elements in a piece.
• Layout: The arrangement of text and images usually within a document or display.
• Orthographic drawings: A series of two-dimensional drawings of an object showing one side of the object at a time.
• Perspective: A method of seeing and drawing that allows artists to represent three-dimensional scenes in two dimensions.

Architecture Vocabulary

• Arch: A curved opening that allows for more structural stability due to the geometric distribution of stress
• Architect: A person who designs structures with human use, materials, physics, economics, and culture in mind.
• Column: A vertical, pole-like support
• Dome: A raised, often half-spherical structure that distributes weight equally (similar to an arch).
• Organic: A shape related to a plant or animal form, often referring to any non-linear, non-mechanical shape.