Geometric Creativity: Magical Paper
This material is suitable for students of all school ages.
These developments are suitable for those who teach or want to teach a visually impaired child mathematics. What can be made out of paper for studying the subject of geometry? A lot, which will take more than several lessons.
The planned lesson involves conducting a project work titled “Paper Master.”
The class will be divided into several groups. Each group’s task is to make any round body: a cylinder, a cone, or a sphere, of their choice. After creating the model, it is necessary to describe the main characteristics of this volumetric figure and tell how it can be applied in everyday life.
Through practical work, children will be able to understand and feel that mathematics is part of our daily life; it surrounds us. The work involves vision, hearing, touch, and feeling. Visually impaired students will work together with sighted students, receiving help from the teacher if necessary. During practical work, teamwork skills are improved. This is necessary for a visually impaired child, as due to vision features, they are often deprived of many life experiences.
In the process of modeling various paper figures, children will develop abstract thinking, which promotes imagination and improves thinking abilities. Visually impaired students should work under a magnifying glass to perform tasks. Such a magnifying glass is attached over the worktable.
For practical work, you will need a set of paper, glue, scissors, and paints.
Figure 1. Cylinder – Cup.
The first group will create a cylinder in the form of a cup, which will allow children to easily see its application in everyday life. Then, activity will be organized through asking questions, discussing main concepts and formulas.
⦁ What is a cylinder?
⦁ Draw the net of a cylinder on the board.
⦁ Was the net of the cylinder used for modeling?
⦁ What is considered the lateral surface of a cylinder?
Students answer the questions, then independently solve tasks related to the cylinder. Visually impaired students must be fully involved in the lesson, commenting on the drawings and tasks solutions, and, if possible, transferring notes to their notebooks.
The teacher observes and adjusts the students’ activities. All drawings on the board and notes must be made clearly and neatly.
Figure 2. Cylinder model with generatrix.
This cylinder model easily explains what the generators of a cylinder are.
In the process of working on the cylinder, children will be able to discuss architecture and the history of using cylindrical forms in construction.
Do children imagine life in a house without corners, straight lines, and partitions? Perhaps cylindrical houses are the ideal living space? These house models look quite organic in any landscape and resemble tree trunks.
Today, people love to experiment and use increasingly new and interesting shapes, for example, both in interiors and when choosing a future home. People are getting bored of living among monotonous buildings. It’s also worth recalling that cylinders appeared in architecture as far back as ancient times and as load-bearing elements.
During such lessons, students acquire specific mathematical knowledge necessary for application in practical activities.