Gr 4–8 · 2 periods
Sculpt a solid of your own
Start from a box and drag its corners, push its faces and add blocks to turn it into a creature, a building or a gem, then print the net FoldNets works out.
Ontario Gr 4–8 · Spatial Sense E1
Learning goals
- Design an original polyhedron
- See how a net changes as the solid changes, and why some nets split into pieces
- Plan and build a model from its own net
Plan
- 1
Show and tell10 minYou lead
In Free-form, show how dragging a corner or pushing out a face changes the solid, and how the net re-unfolds every time.
- 2
Sketch10 minStudents
Students sketch what they want to make: an animal, a house, a spaceship, a gem.
- 3
Sculpt30 minStudents
Students sculpt their design. Keep it simple at first: a few big moves fold better than many tiny ones.
- 4
Print and build30 minStudents
Print the net, and print a second copy of it to display with the model. If it split into pieces, the matching letters on the cut edges show which pieces join. A dent in the solid makes a fold back: its line has a different dash, and that fold goes the other way.
- 5
Gallery10 minYou lead
Display each model beside its second copy of the net. Can classmates match each net to its model?
To talk about
- Why did some nets split into more than one piece?
- How many faces, edges and vertices does your solid have? Does Euler's formula still work? Try it with a block on and off.