These pages are dedicated to the teachers in I-MATH. In this course, the teachers each create a project for their students. The following is a project completed by one of our I-MATH teachers.
Lori Nakashima
Kea`au High
School Hawaii
For my project, I wanted to tie in the use of manipulatives for each student as well as a building project. It developed into a Geometry Review lesson to review as many or as little Geometric properties as appropriate to all student levels. The first part of the project starts out with a circle - one of the most fascinating Geometric objects - and evolving from a planar object to a 3D object. You can discuss everything from definitions and properties of points, lines and planes to discussing the specific properties of polygons to a review of formulas for the number of sides or the interior/exterior angles - the review possibilities are endless. Since this touches on 3D objects, the next project is to build a tetrahedron kite. This project explains step by step how to build one cell of the kite as well as discuss possibilites of how to extend the project to an experiment for flying higher and longer.
My I-MATH project began with a review of geometric properties - starting out with points segments and definitions in 2D and includes 3D shapes volumes and surface area all from one circle. The unit allows each student to have their own circle to fold and manipulate the create different geometric shapes. The unit extends to creating patterns for 3D solids as well as building a kite and flying it. The unit can be modifed for any grade. Please click on the link below to go to the project web pages, a PowerPoint presentation:
For an outline with teacher notes that go with the above PowerPoint presentation go to the following web page:
The pattern below can be used to create a kite in the shape of a tetrahedron (a pyramid with congruentbequilateral triangles for faces and for the base). Students use the pattern, placing the right edge on the fold of a piece of colored tissue paper. Cut out two of these and glue them together using the flaps to form a tetrahedron. Insert drinking straws into the pockets created by the flaps, and run heavy thread through the straws, tying the ends together to hold the faces of the kite together.
Students can combine three of these tetrahedrons together to form a larger kite. The triple tetrahedron kite can be combined with more triple tetrahedrons to create kites of increasing larger sizes.
There are many interesting pages on the internet with information and pictures of a great variety of kites, including the tetrahedron kite. One good place to start your search for kites is at the following page:
The tetrahedron kite below was found on an interesting site with lots of great ideas,"The Virtual Kite Zoo" at http://www.kites.org/zoo/
Be sure to click on the link called "catalogue" or go directly to
http://www.kites.org/zoo/catframe.html
to find every kite that you can imagine!
A very clear and detailed set of instructions for creating tetrahedron kites using tissue paper and straws can be found at the following web pages:
http://www.kites.org/zoo/single/bowd/bowd.html#tetra
Teacher Summary and Reflections
