BIS welcomed Professor George Hart from New York City to Ho Chi Minh City recently as part of his visit to the region. George is an American geometer and also a research professor in the department of computer science, State University of New York. Recently, he has spent time travelling the world working with students of all ages to create exciting mathematical sculptures and also founded the National Museum of Mathematics (MOMATH) in New York City.
George spent the morning working with Yr 7 students making sculptures from standard playing cards. The playing cards were pre-cut on our laser cutter from a template provided by George. The students faced the challenge of correctly assembling the sculpture and were encouraged to work together. After many unsuccessful attempts, the students persevered and were able to build their sculptures by repeating the action of adding one card at a time. They were certainly proud of their finished sculpture!
After break, George worked with Yr 8 students to create chopstick hyperboloids. They learned about hyperboloids and their applications in the real world as well as the interesting shapes found within their cross sections. They then used 24 chopsticks and many rubber bands to create their own hyperboloid. The hyperboloids were surprisingly sturdy and everyone, including Mr Dyer, enjoyed wearing them as hats at the end! Take a look at the pictures and try to make your own!
George spent the afternoon with 25 Yr 9 students in the auditorium. The students worked together using 60 pre-cut identical cardboard pieces to create a giant cardboard sculpture. Using great teamwork and problem solving skills, the students were able to successfully execute the task and the resulting piece was simply “awesome!” We hope you enjoy the finished piece when it goes on display.
Many thanks to Mr Chandler for his help preparing the materials for the day.
Mr Ben Sillitoe, Assistant Head of Mathematics