Sep
2016
Marshmallow Football
1. We started with creating a number of pentagons and tried to connect them all, but it was difficult as they kept falling apart and it was hard to tell which parts to connect to what. After that, we took everything apart and decided on creating a smaller version of our ball, but with hexagons (rather than pentagons), and though it was sturdier, it was still difficult to connect everything, as well as make a circle. We later gave up and ended with an object that stood up, but wasn’t nearly a soccer ball.
2. We learned that it was much more difficult than we expected. When the shape is bigger, it is harder to get to stand up and create what we want, but when smaller, it stands up, but still doesn’t look like a soccer ball.
3. This is a math problem because it takes a certain amount hexagons and pentagons to create a round soccer ball. The creators of the soccer ball used geometry (squares and circles) to make it and others continue to create new versions using the same math techniques.