Take and Make: Pythagorean Puzzles are a hit in Middle School

Lauren SiegelMaking Math, Mathematical Artifacts, Take and Make, Ways to like math, We think math is fun!1 Comment

      These two Pythagorean Theorem Puzzles were a hit with Paola Garcia’s middle school students.   Paola mentioned that some students who are not as facile with pen and paper exercises excelled with the wooden puzzles and that overall everyone enjoyed them. Laser cutting files are posted here.   These do not have the solutions etched into the board

Take and Make: Number Slider

Lauren SiegelMaking Math, Take and MakeLeave a Comment

This is a great project.  Viyang Shah shows how you can expand from just adding and subtracting.  Here are the files – Corel Version 17, Adobe Illustrated, and an SVG!  Please let us know if you have trouble with access.  Happy Making! First version by Paola Garcia.  Improvements and Cuisenairre adaptations based on suggestions from Jo Boalers facebook group YouCube

Take and Make: Mirror Book

Michelle TatMaking Math, Take and Make1 Comment

Mirror Book Files  Make all the regular polygons using just this “book” and a straight line on paper. You can also make stars and intricate symmetrical designs using objects or pictures drawn on paper. Simply laser etch the wooden and acrylic pieces, hinge the two wooden pieces together with Gaffer Tape, and glue the acrylic mirrors to the inside of your

Take and Make: Curve Stitching

Michelle TatMaking Math, Take and Make, Teacher Support & Training2 Comments

Curve Stitching Files:  SVG and Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator Mary Boole invented curve stitching to teach children how curves relate to straight lines. Make your own conic sections using these frames and string! Update 12/23/19 We shared these files with Stefanie Nguyen who runs as school makerspace at a school and the kids did wonderful creative things with them.  Here’s

Take and Make: Sierpinski Triangles

Josephine ShengMaking Math, Take and MakeLeave a Comment

Previously we shared a Take and Make blog on Koch Fractals. We have another fractal shape for you called the Sierpinski triangle!  It has the overall structure of an equilateral triangle. This would be a good challenge for someone learning to use geometry software whether its design like Corel Draw or math like Geogebra.  We are using midpoints and we

Take and Make: Packing Cubes

Michelle TatMaking Math, Take and Make2 Comments

  If you have a Makerspace and are looking for something fun to make, we have an idea for you. The packing cube is a really cool and interesting puzzle. You just need to etch the cardboard folds and fold into pyramids. It’s surprising how the pyramids can all fit inside the cube. It’s a good challenge to figure out how