Can you build an octahedron in three minutes?
A group of Year 8s carried out the annual Westbourne House challenge of building some large 3D shapes. The pupils were asked to build an icosahedron (made up of 20 triangular faces) and a dodecahedron (made up of 12 pentagonal faces). The two groups were given some sections of white plastic piping (recycled material from a local builder’s merchant) and some zip ties; they had sight of a net of the shape to help.
“It was harder than it looks!” said Head of Maths, Mrs Low. “To be successful, teamwork and strategy planning are key. This was a problem-solving challenge rather than just a mathematical exercise. The icosahedron eventually came together well, being made up of triangles. The dodecahedron was trickier as it is made up of pentagons and the shape soon becomes unwieldy and not self-supporting. The pupils were disappointed that this one had to be dismantled afterwards; but the challenge was to actually get it together in the first place.
“The final task was to build an octahedron in three minutes – which they successfully, and with much skill, achieved,” she added.
