Geometric art design
BenJ
locate something to help her with a project that she's been assigned.
She is in 9th grade but as a gifted student she is taking Honors
Geometry this year. Math is not her true gifted subject. She does
well but needs to make an effort.
Her math teacher is very creative in his teaching techniques. This
makes the class very interesting but more difficult. He has assigned
the class a string art design project involving art & geometric
shapes. She is supposed to (draw)create angles, divide the legs of the
angles into sections, about half a cm. Then she is supposed to connect
the top section to the bottom. The design should form squares or
hexagons. The design must fill a poster board. I was wondering if
there was any way that you may have some hints or some ideas that
would help her out. She is not artistically inclined, but the teacher
assumes everyone can do art. He says it's only drawing straight lines
but the project is overwhelming to someone without artistic vision.
We have PaintShop Pro software but she has been trying to do it by
hand. He is grading 70% for degree of difficulty, 20% accuracy of
drawing figures, 5% bright colors, 5% centered. So far it looks like
she will get 10% for the last 2 & the rest is not looking good.
Any help would be great.
mary krimmel
discouraged. I looked at the first few sites listed by Google search for
string art. Several gave illustrations that may be useful. One offered a
pattern (which may not apply). One offered a commercial site that seems to
have patterns for sale. (I didn't investigate.)
Anyway, do be sure that your daughter understands what the project
requires or what the teacher expects. Did he show no examples of such art?
I have seen very beautiful string art for sale in galleries, all done with
real silk thread. I'm glad that your daughter is expected only to draw the
figure. (Although the needlework is lovely, too much time would be used for
craft and too little for geometry.)
I do not fully understand the requirements from your note. What size is the
poster board? What is meant by "top section" and "bottom"? I'm sure that
your daughter knows what angles and legs are, but "drawing angles" in this
context is not clear. (I don't need to have it clear, but your student
does.) Also, is she sure about the need to "form squares and hexagons"?
"Squares" seems unreasonably restricting. Perhaps what is meant is
"quadrilaterals". Better yet, perhaps simply "polygons such as
quadrilaterals and hexagons" - and triangles and pentagons.
Note that in some of the illustrations on the sites found through a search
for "string art" there appear to be circles and/or other curves. But really
there are only straight lines - which is where geometry comes in. (In my
opinion, though, not elementary geometry.)
There are one or two Dover publications which I remember as showing string
art designs, but I don't have them or remember the titles. If you are near
a large bookstore or can get a Dover catalog, check it out. Try
"recreational mathematics" or "geometric designs" areas.
I believe that your daughter should talk to her teacher and/or to
classmates about the assignment. It could be interesting and educational -
even fun. If I have any more ideas I'll post them. If anything I've said
here isn't clear, please ask me about it.
Best wishes for success.
Mary Krimmel
ma...@krimmel.net
Mary Krimmel
ma...@krimmel.net
Alexander Bogomolny
in Honors Geometry class. Creativity aside, this was the stupidest, most
time wasteful, mathematically irrelevant project I could have imagined.
At the time I complained to the school's principal as the arrogant teacher
refused to discuss the matter. The principal called the project shallow
but did not take any action.
This is what is required. The project consists in combining several
basic blocks. To visualize the latter, draw an angle with legs not
necessarily equal. Divide each leg into the same number of segments.
Now, connect division points on the two legs - on one starting from
the end point, on the other from the vertex of the angle.
The angles may be combined into hexagons (if equal to 60 degrees) or
into squares/rectangles (if they are 90 or 45 degrees.) Hexagons and
rectangles may be combined further to fill any kind of a poster.
Why the project is wasteful? Because it takes up time but teachers
no mathematics. Mastery of a ruler and a pencil or a needle and a
thread has nothing to do with mathematics. The resulting designs,
while pretty, convey no significant mathematical idea except for
symmetry which may be demonstrated with a few drawings or photographs
that are readily available from a variety of sources.
I believe that the project is not also shallow but in fact harmful,
as it creates a wrong impression of what mathematics is about.
Mathematicians do often use drawing, sketches and other visuals and
even manipulatives to help them grasp, verify and then prove their
ideas. Drawings and sketches are means in their activity and not
goals.
The teacher might argue that mathematics involved in the project
is applied rather than pure. But is measuring equal segments on
the sides of an angle an appropriate math activity for an advanced
geometry course? I doubt this. This is more suitable for
elementary school if not for the kindergarten.
All the best,
Alexander Bogomolny
http://www.cut-the-knot.com
P.S. The above is a professional opinion of a math Ph.D., a
former professor of mathematics at a major university, and
a working mathematician.
> Mary Krimmel
> ma...@krimmel.net