#MathArtChallenge 100: Balloon Polyhedra

In the first, allow me to thank each and every one of you who has participated in the #MathArtChallenge in the last few months. This is my “last” post. Meaning, I don’t promise to make more Math Art Challenges, but there’s always the chance that something will come up…

All of the #MathArtChallenge-s will continue to be up on this blog, and I really hope that you’ll make use of them in your classes or in your fun time or however brings you joy.

The Challenge: Today, you get Balloon Polyhedra. There’s actually several papers written about this, so go check them out.

Materials needed: Twisting balloons, pump, patience
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, arithmetics, counting, geometry, graph theory, polygons, polyhedra, symmetry, vertices/intersections

#MathArtChallenge 99: Quilts & the Underground Railroad

A quilt containing 6 of the blocks mentioned below as having possibly been used as a code in the underground railroad.

The Challenge: Learn a bit about the code discussed below, and then have yourself or students create some or all of the quilt blocks discussed.

Materials needed: Certainly you can make these as actual quilt pieces. You can also just use a square piece of paper and work on construction within that using paper and pencil.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, arithmetic, geometry, philosophy on math, polygons, symmetry, tessellations.

#MathArtChallenge 94: Twelvefold Islamic Geometric Rosette from Samira Mian

The Challenge: Make yourself a 12-fold Islamic Geometric Rosette.

Materials needed: Compass, straight edge, paper, pencil, colors
Math Concept: angles, circles, geometric construction, geometry, Islamic geometry, lines, polygons, symmetry, tessellations, vertices/intersections.

#MathArtChallenge 93: Archimedean Solids from Vertex descriptions

The Challenge: Using a vertex description, build yourself one, two… up to all 13 of the Archimedean solids.

Materials needed: Card stock and tape (painter’s tape is great, or masking. Other stuff will work, but I’ve had more success with the paper-y tapes.) OR Magnatiles, but those can get pretty pricey.
Math Concepts: structure, polyhedra, angles, 3D structure

#MathArtChallenge 87: Burr Puzzle Origami

An origami stellated polyhedra made from origami

The Challenge: Fold yourself a 6 piece puzzle that comes together as a 3D star shape. You’ll need 6 pieces of paper.

Materials Needed: 6 square pieces of paper.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, geometry, origami, polygons, polyhedra, vertices.

#MathArtChallenge 84: Tangrams

• 

• 

• 

The Challenge: Get yourself a square of paper (or something else?) and cut yourself a set of tangrams. Then create away!

Materials Needed: Scissors, paper
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, geometry, lines, polygons, proportions/ratios, symmetry, tessellations

#MathArtChallenge 76: Decagon & Pride Flag

The Challenge: Create this decagon using the symmetries visible in the piece. The central images are rhombi.

Materials Needed: compass or ruler, could also use graphing software (see below!)
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, circles, geometric construction, geometry, polygons, symmetry, vertices/intersetions.

#MathArtChallenge Day 70: Spinning Heptagon

gif of a spinning heptagon

The Challenge: This is a modular origami (7 squares) spinning top.

Materials needed: 7 squares of paper. Any paper will do, it doesn’t need to be origami paper.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, geometry, origami, polygons, symmetry, vertices/intersections

#MathArtChallenge Day 69: Another way to construct a rectangle

A circle with a diameter. Multiple line segments connect from the end points of the diameter to another place on the circle.

The Challenge: Construct a rectangle using a compass.

Materials needed: Compass, straight edge, writing utensil
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, circles, geometric construction, geometry, lines, polygons, slope, symmetry, vertices/intersections

#MathArtChallenge Day 60: Triangle Incenters ala Matt Henderson

An orange triangle with a large number of folds and lines drawn on it.

The Challenge: Create your own version of Matt Henderson’s triangle incenters.

Materials needed: Paper? Pencil? Origami? Graphing software? (There are lots of options here.)
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, geometry, polygons, symmetry, vertices/intersections