Keep a sheet
within reach.
Simple materials, a short exercise and a way to keep track of what you discover. Use these sample resources at home or as a starting point for a lesson.
Set up
a small space.
Choose your paper
Start with a sheet that folds easily, such as ordinary printer paper. Reuse the blank side of a printed page when it is suitable. Keep personal or confidential pages out of a shared session.
Clear your surface
Use a flat, stable table with enough light to see a crease. Keep drinks away from your work. This exercise needs no blades or sharp tools.
Make a record
Before changing your design, sketch it or write down one observation. Compare the next version with the first. Keep any photographs for your own use unless everyone involved has agreed to sharing.
Make a fold.
Find a fraction.
A five-minute paper exercise. Work at your own pace. The hints stay beside the problem.
The problem
Fold a rectangular sheet into four equal strips. Open it flat. How many strips cover three quarters of the sheet? Explain how you know without using a ruler.
You need one scrap sheet. No scissors or specialist tools.
0 of 3 hints revealed.
Hint 1: Start with halves
Bring one short edge to the opposite short edge and crease. Keep the sheet folded and repeat in the same direction.
Hint 2: Count the spaces
Open the sheet. The three crease lines divide it into four strips. Each strip has the same width, so each is one quarter.
Hint 3: Build three quarters
Mark one strip, then a second, then a third. Count the marked strips and compare them with all four strips.
Worked solution
Three strips cover three quarters. Two folds made four equal strips; each strip is 1/4 of the whole. Three strips give 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 = 3/4. One unmarked strip remains.
Check: fold the sheet back along its creases. The four strips should line up. If they do not, refold and compare again.
A page for
your notes.
Use these prompts on a spare sheet after any making session.
- What question did I start with?
- What did I change between attempts?
- What did I notice?
- What would I try next?
The prompts are intentionally open. A drawing or a short conversation can work as well as written sentences.