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Straws and pipe cleaners are terrific materials for building models of pyramids and cubes. Start out building a triangle or square, then make it three dimensional and turn them into pyramids or cubes by adding more straws. Try making two triangles into a square! This activity is a great introduction into geometry and measurement. The activity does not go into detail about how to use the pipe-cleaners with the straws, but taking non-bendy regular drinking straws and filling them with pipe cleaners so that a little sticks out on either end, works best. The straw keeps the structure sturdy, and the pipe cleaner ends are used to twist tie other pipe cleaner/straw combos together.
- Under 5 minutes
- 30 to 45 minutes
- 1 cent - $1 per student
- Ages 4 - 11
- Activity, Model
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- pipe cleaners
- non-bendy regular drinking straws
- scissors
- ruler
- pipe cleaners
- non-bendy regular drinking straws
- scissors
- ruler
Subjects
-
Mathematics
-
Geometry
- Plane Geometry
- Solid Geometry
-
Measurement
- Units of Measurement
- Size and Scale
- Polygons
-
Geometry
Informal Categories
- Model Building
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Components that are part of this resource:
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Rights:
- All rights reserved, Science Museum of Minnesota, 1995
Funding Sources:
- Unisys
- Science Learning Network
- National Science Foundation