How did we create our sculptures? First, we learned about David Smith and his art. We watched an interview, a short biography, and a video of the Smith Gallery showing at the Los Angeles Museum of Art. We analyzed the elements of art and the style of his sculptures. We decided that some of the important elements we wanted to illustrate in our sculptures was the feeling of motion, and the distinctly different impressions gained by viewing the pieces from different perspectives.
Next, we began working on the needed math. We started with pre-made nets for various shapes. We cut them, built them, and took them apart to determine how they were constructed and how they can be recreated. Our next step was to create our own nets using graph paper and when we got better at it, we moved to scratch paper. Out goal was to determine how to create networks for both simple and compound shapes, and how to properly create tabs for closure. At this stage we also developed strategies and formulas for calculating both surface area and volume of each shape.
We created sketches of our sculptures and build small scale versions out of scrap paper. We tended to form, style, and neatness of construction. Once we had a sculpture we were happy with, we calculated how to scale up the nets and how to lay them out on 12x18 paper conserving paper as much as possible. Groups them put in a request for paper that had to show how much they would need of each individual color. Once they had made their paper purchase, they were not able to get more, so calculation accuracy was important.
Finally, we got to the fun part, building. Groups worked cooperatively to create their scaled up sculpture based on their plans. The rules were simple: nets had to be completely sealed using glue and no more than one small piece of tape on the final edge. A few modifications were necessary for stability, but most of our sculptures match our original plans.
But, we were not finished yet. At this point, we were given costs for purchasing various sheet metals based on today's prices. Each metal was assigned a group of colors to represent it. Students calculated the total cost of purchasing the "metals" , the cost of building the sculpture itself, and the cost of the wasted metal. We had a great time working together and were quite proud of our final sculptures. Who knew math could be so fun?
Next, we began working on the needed math. We started with pre-made nets for various shapes. We cut them, built them, and took them apart to determine how they were constructed and how they can be recreated. Our next step was to create our own nets using graph paper and when we got better at it, we moved to scratch paper. Out goal was to determine how to create networks for both simple and compound shapes, and how to properly create tabs for closure. At this stage we also developed strategies and formulas for calculating both surface area and volume of each shape.
We created sketches of our sculptures and build small scale versions out of scrap paper. We tended to form, style, and neatness of construction. Once we had a sculpture we were happy with, we calculated how to scale up the nets and how to lay them out on 12x18 paper conserving paper as much as possible. Groups them put in a request for paper that had to show how much they would need of each individual color. Once they had made their paper purchase, they were not able to get more, so calculation accuracy was important.
Finally, we got to the fun part, building. Groups worked cooperatively to create their scaled up sculpture based on their plans. The rules were simple: nets had to be completely sealed using glue and no more than one small piece of tape on the final edge. A few modifications were necessary for stability, but most of our sculptures match our original plans.
But, we were not finished yet. At this point, we were given costs for purchasing various sheet metals based on today's prices. Each metal was assigned a group of colors to represent it. Students calculated the total cost of purchasing the "metals" , the cost of building the sculpture itself, and the cost of the wasted metal. We had a great time working together and were quite proud of our final sculptures. Who knew math could be so fun?