I use this exercise when teaching solids to my kids and it makes a great
activity for groups of 4-6 students. You need plasticine or modelling clay,
matchsticks or toothpicks ....and big tables or a working area.
I introduce the basic concept of cubes and pyramids, and show how to make
balls of clay about 1cm in diameter, and how to connect them together using
the sticks. Then I assign 4 tasks:
- make a cube
- make a pyramid
- make a house (combine cube and pyramid.)
- make a tower using multiple cubes and one pyramid to crown the top.
The first group to make a tower from at least 4 cubes wins a prize. The
real challenge here is for the students to work together and to become junior
engineers by creating a stronger structure than their classmates. Everyone
has a great time and the session can be very amusing!
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