Math/Art project: 60-card polyhedron

For the math/art project, my group created a deltoidal hexecontrahedron out of 60 playing cards using the template provided by George Hart. I have always been fascinated by the art seen in geometrical shapes and solids but using playing cards to construct polyhedra is a new idea to me. The slits on each card must be cut accurately since the construction is made by interlocking the cards together without tape or glue. The most difficult part was to figure out the 3-fold lock which required a little bit of bending to create the equilateral triangle with each point above the next. This task was easy for only one group member who is a very visual learner. It took the rest of us about 30 minutes individually to learn to do the 3-fold construction.

Rather than putting together 60 cards randomly, we arranged the cards in a specific pattern. Each layer is the same suit of cards in ascending order and the layers are alternating between red and black suits. This required more careful planning when we were constructing the cards but our final product looked awesome. We can explore shapes and patterns in this 60-card polyhedron. For example, we can ask students, "How many pentagons are there? How many vertices are formed by 3-fold locks?" These questions can lead to lessons in geometry about platonic solids and various other kinds of 3-dimensional models.

The fire alarm incident during our presentation gave us an opportunity to experience "teaching math outside the classroom." I think our classmates tried their best at the activity but it was more difficult than we had planned. Getting everyone's attention outside with many distractions around was not an easy task. I believe it is important for teachers to adapt to changing environments. Sometimes, unpredictable circumstances will require us to relate the material to the surrounding or give insight into other perspectives. I will continue to examine math in an artistic way, endeavor to discover/create art in math and bring these new points of view to my students.