Party Time in the Math Room
Inspired by a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry display of “Christmas Trees Around the World”, 1996, these ornaments are direct applications of mathematical concepts. The ornaments function as manipulative teaching devices whether the instructor displays and describes a finished ornament or the student constructs an ornament. A brief history, description, application, or function is provided for most ornaments as well as suggestions for interdisciplinary connections. In the presentation, overhead transparencies of diagrams and sketches complement these written instructions. Source materials referenced in the instructions are listed in the bibliography.
A String of Numbers
The instructions suggest making a necklace, but I think this would make an interesting garland for a tree. You could use the digits of pi, perfect squares, Fibonacci numbers, multiples of a certain number to make the patterns.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Paper and pencil
Calculator
Tape
Elastic beading thread
Pony beads in several colors
Tessellation Sensation
These instructions would have to be tweaked a little to make an ornament, but this shows a neat way to make tessellations. Maybe decorate stockings or fold into a certain 3-D shape?
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Green construction paper
Ruler, pencil, and scissors
Cookie cutter (any symmetrical shape that fits in a 3-inch square will do)
Blue poster board, 12 by 18 inches
Glue stick
Triangular Construction
Create a tetrahedron out of toothpicks and gumdrops. This would be a great ornament!
Christmas Tree Decorating - Math Style
Raymond Park Middle School in Indiana celebrated the season by making polygon graphic organizers shaped like Christmas trees, 3-D shapes, and fractional measurement trees of felt and buttons.
Christmas ornament paper folding activity ...
mathforum.org/t2t/discuss/index.taco?start_at=841
I couldn't get this link to work. Try again later!
Origami Cubes
This activity has students making paper folds to make a cube. During the process of folding, each quadrilateral will be identified and attributes will be listed. The cubes can then be used as Christmas ornaments.
Inspired by a visit to the Museum of Science and Industry display of “Christmas Trees Around the World”, 1996, these ornaments are direct applications of mathematical concepts. The ornaments function as manipulative teaching devices whether the instructor displays and describes a finished ornament or the student constructs an ornament. A brief history, description, application, or function is provided for most ornaments as well as suggestions for interdisciplinary connections. In the presentation, overhead transparencies of diagrams and sketches complement these written instructions. Source materials referenced in the instructions are listed in the bibliography.
A String of Numbers
The instructions suggest making a necklace, but I think this would make an interesting garland for a tree. You could use the digits of pi, perfect squares, Fibonacci numbers, multiples of a certain number to make the patterns.
Tessellation Sensation
These instructions would have to be tweaked a little to make an ornament, but this shows a neat way to make tessellations. Maybe decorate stockings or fold into a certain 3-D shape?
Triangular Construction
Create a tetrahedron out of toothpicks and gumdrops. This would be a great ornament!
Christmas Tree Decorating - Math Style
Raymond Park Middle School in Indiana celebrated the season by making polygon graphic organizers shaped like Christmas trees, 3-D shapes, and fractional measurement trees of felt and buttons.
mathforum.org/t2t/discuss/index.taco?start_at=841
I couldn't get this link to work. Try again later!
Printable 3-D Shapes
The regular polyhedrons can make interesting ornaments, and are relatively easy to make from card stock or file folders:
tetrahedron - 4 equilateral triangles
cube - 6 squares
octahedron - 8 equilateral triangles
dodecahedron (my favorite) - 12 regular pentagons
Icosahedron - 20 equilateral triangles
Origami Cubes
This activity has students making paper folds to make a cube. During the process of folding, each quadrilateral will be identified and attributes will be listed. The cubes can then be used as Christmas ornaments.
Hexaflexagon