The Challenge: Create a Mondrian artwork (maybe with a goal of getting the lowest score?) Here’s a Math Pickle article to get you started.
Materials Needed: Writing utensil and paper. (This would be fun with chalk on a sidewalk!)
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: arithmetic, geometry, proportions/ratios
The Challenge: Create an illusion using isometric lines.
Materials Needed: Isometric Grid paper You can print some or you can create some (that just takes a bit of patience), pencil and ERASER. This challenge is best done as an exercise in erasing, changing and play. You can see in my time lapse below just how much erasing I did and I’ve done this kind of thing many times before. Be gentle with yourself.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: Angles, geometric construction, geometry, isometric grids, perspective
Thanks to Katherine Seaton for sharing this idea!
The Challenge: Using grid paper, assign each row/column a 0 or a 1. Then “stitch” both ways. You could assign the 0s and 1s as you prefer, or with a coin, or you could code something in binary!
Materials Needed: Grid/dot paper (You can print some or make some without too much trouble), or if you have the stitching materials…
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: binary numbers, randomness, probability, symmetry
The Challenge: Can you figure out all of the ways that 3 circles can overlap and intersect with each other?
Materials Needed: Curiosity and patience. Whatever medium you like! Please watch ONLY the first 1 minute and 20 seconds of the video below. If you watch more, the answer will be given away! Don’t ruin it for yourself! It’ll be so satisfying if you do it yourself!
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: circles, combinatorics & permutations, vertices/intersections, radii
(Props to Kate Nowak who suggested this.)
The Challenge: Create as many iterations of the Dragon Fractal as you can. See below for my attempts and videos to help.
Material Needed: There are a couple options here:
-Paper and marker (sharpie?). Maybe grid paper, preferably paper that is thin enough to see through (notebook paper is normally thin enough)
-Strips of paper to fold it
-Whiteboard marker and whiteboard/window
-??? I bet you have better ideas than I do.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: fractals, functions, geometry, proportions & ratios, sequences
Note: This is a first foray for the #mathartchallenge into Islamic Geometry. I would be a fool to not take this opportunity to teach you about Samira Mian. Her online courses are fantastic, and her tutorials are great. So are is her instagram!
The Challenge: Construct an 8-pointed star, and possibly tile it?
Materials needed: Straight edge, writing utensils, paper, compass? (There are tutorials for both compass and no compasses below.)
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, circles, geometric construction, Islamic geometry, symmetry, tessellations, vertices/intersections
The Challenge: Create an array with materials around your house. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
Materials needed: Go wild. Anything can work here: origami butterflies, shoes, paperclips, cereal, pencils…
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: arithmetic (multiplication), counting, proportions/ratios, sequences, symmetry
The Challenge: Make two different sizes of origami butterflies and then see what you notice and wonder about your pieces!
Materials Needed: At least two different sizes of square paper. (Can be obtained from non-square paper if you ask nicely.)
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: angles, proportions/ratio (particularly between length, area, volume)
The Challenge: Draw a large shape. Then place a large circle inside that shape, touching at least one edge of the original shape. Then draw the next largest circle you can, and repeat drawing the next largest circle you can. (See video below for examples.)
Materials Needed: Writing utensil, paper.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge: : Ratios, radius, tangency (tangent circles), proportions, area, perimeter, fractals, geometry
The Challenge: Create cardioid images by marking the circumference of a circle with equally spaced tick marks, then connecting them at various ratios.
Materials Needed: Paper, circle to trace (yogurt or oatmeal lid?), writing utensil, straight edge (doesn’t have to be a ruler, could just be a piece of cardboard cut straight or any other number of things.
Math Concepts: sequences, modular arithmetic, angles, geometric construction, ratios, circles, functions, vertices/intersections
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