Celebration Of Demand Heed Solar Daytime (Aka Hexaflexagon Day)

October 21st was Celebration of Mind Day. Celebration of Mind Day is a vacation that honors Martin Gardner too his contribution to recreational mathematics. This was the outset solar daytime my students came dorsum from Fall Break. So, they had been out of schoolhouse for 5 entire days. I decided this would last the perfect chance to expand their horizons too demo them a side of mathematics that they possibly hadn't seen before.

We talked virtually who Martin Gardner was. He did non invent the hexaflexagon, but he did tell the globe virtually it. I outset learned virtually hexaflexagons when I was inwards the 10th grade. My sis was inwards the 7th flat at the time, too she got to brand ane inwards her math class. I was a tad jealous, too I was too extremely frustrated. I couldn't figure out how to arrive work! And, she made it expect too then easy.

Last year, I made my outset hexaflexagon alongside my Algebra 1 students, too I similar a shot brutal inwards love. I could likely sit down for hours too play alongside a hexaflexagon!

If y'all desire to host your ain hexaflexagon party, at that spot are all the resources y'all could ever withdraw here. And, hither is a link to PDF templates to brand your ain trihexaflexagon or hexahexaflexagon.

We started our give-and-take of hexaflexagons yesteryear watching a Vi Hart video.

My students were amazed. Of course, they similar a shot wanted to brand one. I printed off templates for a trihexaflexagon. I accept institute that the best agency to ensure success is to tell students to cutting out their template too to double crease (once each way) each fold. If students produce this, they volition last MUCH less frustrated. And, their instructor is, therefore, much less frustrated!

After showing students how to get together their hexaflexagons, I got the amazing chance to demo students how to brand their hexaflexagons work. I ever allow students travail to figure out how to function them on their own. After all, they accept seen a video of how it works. But, most students withdraw somebody to demo them where to pinch too how to opened upward up the middle of their hexaflexagon. My favorite affair to produce is to scout students' faces the outset fourth dimension they are able to opened upward up the middle of their hexaflexagon. Their aspect is PRICELESS. I desire to detect a agency to come across that aspect to a greater extent than on a day-to-day footing equally nosotros are learning algebra.

After creating their hexaflexagons, nosotros watched the Hexaflexagon Safety Guide because it shows a lot of cool ways to decorate your hexaflexagon. Plus, who wouldn't desire to come across a hexaflexagon made out of a tortilla?

The solar daytime afterward nosotros made our hexaflexagons, ane of my students came dorsum to tell me that she had stayed upward tardily watching all of Vi Hart's videos. Her words: "Math is fun!"

To those of y'all who volition tell that I wasted a solar daytime of pedagogy alongside my Algebra 1 too Algebra ii students, I would beg to differ. I wasn't hired only to learn math. I was hired to alter lives, to inspire students. I accept a grouping of Algebra 1 students from end twelvemonth who come upward to see me multiple times a week. When they realized it was Hexaflexagon Day, they almost all told me that they nonetheless had their hexaflexagon from end year. This is something they volition cry back for a long time. I can't tell the same virtually worksheet or a quiz.

My Hexa-Hexaflexagon too My Tri-Hexaflexagon

One of my Statistics students is an amazing artist. This was her creation. I am inspired yesteryear it, too I only had to share! Isn't this only gorgeous? She puts my hexaflexagon to shame.