Project: String Art

This is one of the more memorable projects -- students often keep theirs for years, just as a symbol of what they can achieve when they put their mind to it.

Students are not allowed to randomly zig-zag across the board. There must be a clear pattern that is more than just horizontal lines. Gaps and clusters of string are to be avoided at all costs.

Many parents do not initially understand the connection to a math classroom. In order for the artwork to look good and appropriate, care must be taken in the measurement and execution of placing the nails (or holes). In many cases the string patterns are created by carefully counting nails/holes.

And yes, the really nice ones will take dozens of hours. The flag, shown in the very first picture, was produced just after 9/11 (in 2001) on a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood, and required two people to carry it. After that, Mr. Goettman added the rule that a person must be able to carry it themselves ....