Frosted symmetry

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Today was the last day of our unit on Frieze Patterns. To test my students' knowledge of the seven frieze types, I decided we'd do a bit of cooking decorating in class.

First, the students got to decorate their own cookies--but no eating! Next, I arranged the cookies in various frieze patterns. (That's Type VII on the right.) Before the students could retrieve their cookies for eating, they each had to correctly identify the frieze types.

Strange, how concentrated they all seemed!

The world is white

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Weird weather this weekend left all trees, plants, fences (everything, really!) covered in a thick, frost-like layer of ice crystals. Meanwhile this weekend I also learned from friends how to make these wonderful snowflakes out of paper.

The whole world is white...

Christmas baking

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, December 10, 2011

As the season approaches, I decided it was time to do some Christmas baking with help from friends and neighbors. Mixed up two batches of cookie dough, and we got down to work. Some of my favorite results (for which I cannot take credit) were when folks started mixing doughs--see the Christmas tree, rabbit and bells.

Flex!

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Friday, December 9, 2011

Once again it's time for paper flexagons in math class. One of my students quickly found all (?) 18 patterns by creating a very fun set of designs. Next week we'll hold our annual Flex-Olympics in which students will compete to see who can find all the faces in the fewest flexes.

Click the video below to see the designs in action...

Here's a link to my favorite hexa-hexa-flexagon numbering system.

Sewing club

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Thursday, December 8, 2011

My sewing activity is soon over for the quarter. All the girls finished at least one nice quilt square and some even had time for an iron-on project (see the tree at right).

My favorite part about running these activities is to see what the kids come up with when I let them loose with some fabric and a few ideas.

Castle building

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Sunday, December 4, 2011

It's the weekend and more time indoors. This time we devised a plan to build a castle for A's dinosaurs. Lots-o-fun!

Pieten diploma

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Saturday, December 3, 2011

We spent the morning at friends of friends practicing to be Sinterklaas' helper, Zwarte Piet. Activities included jumping from rooftops, wrapping packages, drawing pictures for Sinterklaas, and eating a lot of gingerbread cookies. Tomorrow is the Big Day when the old gent himself will arrive in UB on his white horse.

While the kids were practicing their helper skills in the next room, the sly fellow slipped in and snuck some candy in the kids' boots...