2. Tetrahedron Kite Model

Materials

  1. 6 Straws
  2. About 6 feet of ribbon
  3. 1 sheet of tissue paper
  4. Scissors & tape

Procedure


  1. Push the ribbon through the straws so you make a triangle. Then add the other straws so that you make a tetrahedron. Tie off the ends when finished. It is possible to need only two ties and go through only one straw twice. Make 9 more tetrahedrons.
  1. Select one sheet of colored tissue paper for each tetrahedron constructed. Cut out one tissue template. Heavy index cards make good templates.) Note and mark the two (2) folds. And cut out the template on the twice folded tissue paper along the three unfolded edges
  1. Tape the tissue onto only two faces of each of the tetrahedrons. First tie four (4) of the tetrahedrons together to form a tetrahedron. And then after the discussion of perimeter, area and volume, tie all ten (10) together to form one large tetrahedron.
  1. Insert a balloon stick into the leading edge of the finished kite and attach the kite string to the very top of the kite.
  1. Go fly your kite.

NWMI Art Mabbott July 8, 2002

Tissue Paper

  1. Cut the 20” by 30” sheet of tissue paper in fourths. Each quarter will be 10” by 15” and will cover two faces of one tetrahedron.
  1. Fold the 10” by 15” piece in fourths again. (The results will be 5” by 7.5”.)
  1. Cut out template.
  1. Place the template on the folded tissue.

Note: Be sure to line up the two edges with folds with the edges of the template marked “Place along fold.”

  1. Cut along the three sides marked “Cut along line”.
  1. Unfold the tissue and tape to the tetrahedron

NWMI Art Mabbott July 8, 2002

Tissue Paper

NWMI Art Mabbott July 8, 2002

Tissue Paper


NWMI Art Mabbott July 8, 2002

Letter to the Future

Dear Geometry Students of the Future:

This is a great activity because:

The 3 things the worked really well for us were:

From our experience, the things that we would have done differently are:

And the final suggestion or comment is:

Best of luck!

And a final PS to Mr. Mabbott:

NWMI Art Mabbott July 8, 2002