Bunny Sliceform

Bunnies are an Easter tradition.  I love their pastel colors.  The bunnies presence really brighten a room. Sliceforms are my obsession; so what better way to combine my passion for both of them.

Here is the PDF file.  I used cardstock.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYSHhrZ0MwTXpuckE/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-EFv6ccsHVfDe9xz-9wRd7Q

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYaDF3T3RycG9Vd0k/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-0fDw3qbrM6AhNd_a1v8stw

 Separate the slices.  The rectangular slices should be ordered from longest to the shortest.

 Starting at the left hand side, slide the longest rectangle into the first left slot. Then slide the next shortest size. The middle piece is the shortest rectangle. The next two slices increase in size.  Above is a picture of what it should look like when all the rectangular slices are attached.

 Slide the bunny piece onto one side as shown above. 

 Turn the bunny over and repeat.

The bunnies are so cute.  They can fold flat for mailing.

Happy Easter!

A Tactile Paper Ruler



As a math teacher, I often find students having difficulty measuring with a ruler for a variety of reasons. The students don't know where to place the ruler because many plastic rulers have a quarter of an inch of plastic before the tick marks start or the students can't read the hash marks. This ruler that I created from glossy cardstock will help those students visually and tactilely see the different measurements.  The leading edge of the ruler begins the measurement.  There are three different size markings.  The inch marking is the longest slit, the half inch slit is a little smaller and the quarter inch slit is the smallest.  At the top of the ruler, there is a large notch at the inch mark and a smaller notch at the half inch mark. The ruler can be manipulated so that the student can fold up a portion of the ruler if needed to make sure a measurement is correct.

The ruler can be folded up and the slits can be turned upwards at the quarter inch and half inch marks.

Here is the PDF file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYc3lIXy0xalZHOUk/view?usp=sharing

Here is the .Studio file.  I used a glossy cardstock because regular cardstock will not cut out the numbers correctly.  The plasticized  surface of the glossy cardstock cuts the small numbers precisely. You will notice in the picture that there is a yellow and orange ruler that has their numbers not cut all the way through with the plain cardstock.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYUElUZW5CY0Y4WHM/view?usp=sharing

Disclaimer: If you produce this ruler, please ensure that the measurements of this ruler are correct with an actual ruler.  I cut this with my Silhouette and it is off by a hair. I think I might need to recalibrate my Silhouette but I am a little wary and feel the minute difference does not warrant changing the settings.

Super Pi Day Ball

Super Pi Day is coming!  3.14.15 is a once in a century event.

 

 Pi Ball with different diameters of Pi

In honor of Super Pi Day, I decided to make a sliceform which represents the values of pi.  I created the five circles with multiples of 3.14.    The diameters starting at the smallest circle is 3.14 cm, 6.28 cm, 9.42 cm, 12.57 cm and 15.71cm respectively. I then placed the diameter of each of the four smaller circles on the edge of the largest circle at its midpoint to create a slit so that this sliceform could be created.

Looking at it head on when the sliceform is a sphere, starting from the smallest circle and going inwards, you can visually see the increase in values of pi from 1 pi to 5 pi.

Laying the sliceform down, the center is the largest circle of 5 pi and the other circles are skewed closer to the edge.

I made a sphere sliceform here. http://papercraftetc.blogspot.com/2013/07/sliceforms-are-my-new-obsession.html  I love the visual differences of the two sliceforms.

Poor Pi Ball does not have as much structure as a regular sphere sliceform.  The slices are not at fixed intervals but at a multiple of pi.

Here is the PDF of the Pi Ball sliceform.  I used cardstock to create the model.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYR01KazczN25UOFU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-h41U31sF15w8yjA8pZHldA

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYdTAzSGF5VW85SUU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-e8s8IUa0iHnFv32YDtr7NA

Happy Super Pi Day!

Bunny Hexagon Box

The Bunny Hexagon box is an ideal way to display a sliceform egg.

Here is the PDF.  I used cardstock for everything except the bunny which I used watercolor paper. I cut two sets of bunnies in watercolor paper (I glued them together to create a double thickness) in order to ensure a sturdy base.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYT3p6ODFjejdNRm8/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-baTyV_q2ddNXQ4bwxC5X8w

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYaUk2VnhDRmJra1k/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-PsJsh_ftEKSGIeYS4IjNEA

Slide the egg pieces together as shown below.

Using a glue stick, glue the bunny pieces together to create the framework for holding up the Easter egg. Make sure that you do not glue the tabs together at the bottom of the bunnies.  The bunny was made with watercolor paper.  I used white cardstock from Michaels originally and the paper was awful.  It tore and created a mess which I could not fix.  The watercolor paper cut beautifully on the Silhouette and I used the cardstock settings to cut this paper.

Laying the inner slit piece down, place the outer slit piece in the middle as shown.  Connect the two pieces, by inserting the slits together to form the bunny structure.  Add the sliceform egg to the middle by folding it flat and then expanding it once it is inside the bunny egg framework.

Make the box.  Glue the two bottom pieces together.  Fold and then glue it into a hexagon. Fold down the sides as shown in the picture. Slide the smaller inside hexagon shape into the box to form the bottom of the box. Using a glue stick, apply glue to the hexagon shape. Turn it over and add the larger hexagon to the bottom.

Repeat the procedure to make the top of the box using the largest scalloped pieces. Then connect the second largest pieces together and place it on top of the largest scallop.  Make sure they fit together. (I did not use glue to connect these two pieces.  I just slide one on top of the other.)

Glue the bunny structure by sliding into the slits and gluing to the top.  Using a glue stick add glue to the rest of the top. Glue the other hexagon too with a glue stick.  Attach together.

Glue the stripe to the smallest scallop piece and attach to the box.  

Repeat for the second scalloped piece with the stripe to encircle the entire box.

Add another stripe to the bottom of the box.

Sliceform Eggs for Easter

 

Sliceform Easter Egg

I love sliceforms and these eggs are no exception.  They are amazing! I love the honeycomb shape that is created when the slices are perpendicular to one another.

Notice the honeycomb shape.

 When the sliceform eggs lie flat, you can see the egg shapes that make up the sliceform.

The Sliceforms can lie flat!

I am including two versions of the egg sliceform.  One is a repeat of a previous version...the hollow egg. The newest version is the solid sliceform egg.

Here is the PDF.  I used cardstock.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYV01vcTRHb1B4OWc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-D0S-cNRLIwj5cFSnoDvWOQ

Here is the .Studio file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYclMwdEpnLVdyc28/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-lQIN5ZN5EjUEeHHGJ6TLww

Happy Easter!

A Five-Wheeled Spinning Ferris Wheel

Five-wheeled Ferris Wheel

This is the last Ferris Wheel in the series that I am going to design. Initially I was going to make just four wheels and then I decided that it was not aesthetically pleasing to the eye so I made a five-wheeled Ferris Wheel.  I think it turned out marvelously.

Here is the PDF.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYYzhrUmlNYTJteXc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-3XXt_ZqyoCu2HtQwnvDiqw

Here is the .Studio file. I used cardstock.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYVGE4bkJJLTFuSkU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-bokqqMKhJzmHBcIrW1Zm1w

Use the instructions from a previous post to assembly this model.
http://papercraftetc.blogspot.com/2014/07/whats-more-exciting-than-paper-ferris.html
In addition, a center stabilizer is included in this model.  This is optional because I thought its addition would make a studier model. I did not include the instructions because it is a simple cylinder shape that is glued together. Please note, the wheels need to be aligned in the center so that they turn properly, so be careful when gluing.

Of course, Marley wants to be in the picture.

Rotational Symmetry Explained Using 5 Different Types of Pinwheels

I created five different types of pinwheels to explain the concept of rotational symmetry. Rotational symmetry is when a figure is rotated around a central point and the angle of rotation is noted when the object looks the same as the original figure. For example, a square has 90 degree rotational symmetry because it looks that same at 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees and at 360 degrees. The order of rotational symmetry of  a square is 4 because it looks the same 4 times in one rotation around a central point.

Here is the PDF of the pinwheels.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYT1duczNleEM4SUU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-lnVJ_9nV-0hufY1t_eeDQA

Here is the .Studio file of the pinwheels.  I would recommend using the thinnest material for the blades and the strongest paper that won't tear easily for the rest of the pinwheel.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYMjAtRWlyZFliT2M/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-7prVUoKPCY4Kb9LGO6B_2w

 Paper is not the best material to make the axles of these pinwheels. My fourth grade class made them and many of the pinwheels broke at the joint. I think a better choice would be to make a class set, have each student hold a pinwheel and move the pinwheel while sitting at their desk. My students wanted to touch the blades and move them with their hands while running around the room.  These actions puts too much pressure on the fragile paper joints.

To Make the Axles. Glue into a tube.

Insert into the hole.

Glue as shown above.  Repeat for the other axle.

There are two axles.  One tube is larger than the other tube.

Using the larger axle, insert into the center of the pinwheel by folding one side of the pinwheel blade.  Continue with the other pinwheel blades until it looks like the above figure.

Add the starburst figure as shown above.

Glue the tabs down as shown above.

Insert the smallest axle into the largest axle and add the circle.

Glue the circle down as shown.

Add the final round circle.

Turn the pinwheel over. Glue and bend the paper as shown.

 Insert a wooden skewer around the paper and allow it to dry before trying to move the pinwheel.

 

Repeat the above instructions for all of the different types of pinwheels.

 

A PDF that explains rotational symmetry.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYQWtLRk5UUGc3QTA/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-PawXO00eEHwHE5gUk8RVUg

Here is an area of a pinwheel challenge PDF.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7oGIyVDbRGYbDdfeFFJdHJzZGM/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-fA_K0Dtj26KX3RiG0UJgNA