Index+Card+Structures



In order to create my structure, I folded 4 of the note cards in half, horizontally, and then rolled them into small cylinders. I then folded a fifth note card in half in the same way and wrapped it around the 4 rolled up cylinders and taped the sides in order to hold it all together. After I created this structure, I had 5 note cards left so I created another structure that was exactly the same. Although I was allowed to use 18 inches of tape, I did not need all of it to create my structure. After doing this activity and creating this structure, I learned that in order to create the sturdiest structure, you should fold the note cards in half so that they will become thicker, providing the most support. Also, the lower to the ground the structure is, the stronger it will be and the more weight it will be able to hold. My structure was very sturdy and was able to hold a little over 300 pounds. I could use this activity in order to teach weight, proportion, and size in a mathematics classroom. In order to make this activity more suitable for younger students, the teacher should show the class examples of different types of structures before they begin working on their own so that they have an idea of what the structure is supposed to look like. The teacher should show examples of strong structures as well as weak structures in order to show the difference in techniques, allowing the students to see what works well and what does not work as well. Another way to make it more applicable to younger students is to pair each student up with another classmate so that they can collaborate and discuss ideas with each other, allowing them to create a more successful product.