Category: Resources and Freebies

Ted Talk: Robert Lang on the Mathematics and Magic of Origami

General Education, Math in Real Life, Resources and Freebies

In the previous post, I have shared to you sites about origami or paper folding.  Aside from these resources, I have also posted several examples of using it in the classroom. Several of these examples are introduction to the notion of proof, and getting the square root and cube root of a number. In addition, I have also shared a video using mathematics of origami to fold  gift wraps minimizing wastage.

Rober Lang: Origami Artist

But origami is a lot more than the things you have read above. Today, the art is already used as a model for airbags and telescope in space. There is even a research for  using it in devices that will be used in heart surgery.  » Read more

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14 Useful Sites on Paper Folding Instructions and Origami Tutorials

High School Mathematics, Resources and Freebies, Teaching Tools

Origami is the art of paper folding which originated in Japan in the 17th century. It  is now very popular even outside Japan. The term comes from the Japanese word ori meaning “folding” and gami (kami) meaning “paper.”

origami tutorials

There is a rich connection between origami and mathematics (read Origamics: Mathematical Explorations Through Paper Folding). Learning the art could be fun and rewarding at the same time. For teachers, it is one of the ways of integrating practical work in teaching mathematics. 

If you want to learn about origami, the sites below contain general information about origami and other paper folding techniques including kirigami.  » Read more

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The Prime Composite Dance

Resources and Freebies, Teaching Tools, Web 2.0 Technology

In this blog, I have written quite a number of articles about prime numbers. In one of my posts, I have emphasized that geometrically, the dots that represent a prime number can only be arranged in a 1 x p rectangular arrangement where p is prime.  Composite numbers on the other hand, can be arranged geometrically into more than 1 rectangular arrangements.

prime-composite-dance

Stephen Von Worley has given a more beautiful definition of primes and composites in his  Factor Dance Animation .  The brilliant animation is a rearrangement of dots (circles) that represent numbers into different groups every second. Its aim is to show the “compositeness” and “primeness”  of numbers from 1 up to 10,000. Worley’s program used the algorithm Brent Yorgey, the writer of The Mathematics Less Traveled.

You can read more about the animation at Wolrey’s post titled Dance, Factors, Dance. You may also want to watch the beautiful animation.

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