Welcome Parents, Students and Friends!

Glad you found me! On this page each week I will post activities you and your family can enjoy.

A Short History of Origami:

Origami is a Japanese word which means paper-folding; ori-, meaning "folded," and kami-, meaning "paper." Paper making methods came to Japan sometime during the 6th century from China. Some Historians use this fact to insist that paper folding methods also developed at the same time. The price of the paper may have prohibited the art of paper folding at this time. Because of the expense of the paper, it is implied by some historians that the paper folding was used carefully and for special ceremonial occasions.

In learning geometry, children need to investigate, experiment, and explore with everyday objects and other physical materials. Exercises that ask children to visualize, draw, and compare shapes in various positions will help develop their spatial sense. Although a facility with the language of geometry is important, it should not be the focus of the geometry program but rather should grow naturally from exploration and experience. Explorations can range from simple activities to challenging problem-solving situations that develop useful mathematical thinking skills. ( NCTM K-4 Standards, p. 48)

The purpose of teaching geometry in the elementary/middle school is to help children acquire abilities to be used in describing, comparing, representing, and relating objects in the environment. The development of such abilities relies heavily on the kinds of experiences children have with real objects and on the ways which they respond to these experiences. Many geometry experiences should involve unstructured play activities in which children are encouraged to experiment, to find out, and tell "why and what".

From ages 4 to 7

At this level activities should focus on the following skills:

1. Listing the attribute of geometric figures.

2. Comparing geometric figures to see how they are alike and how they are different.

3. Identifying the results when geometric figures undergo change.

4. Identifying representations for geometric figures.

5. Describing relationships among geometric figures.

From ages 7 to 9

At this level, children should engage in activities that will introduce them to ideas related to the following:

1. Perpendicularity

2. Parallelism

3. Similarity

4. Size

5. Congruence

6. Symmetry

What we accomplish by using Origami is the planting and nourishing of the seeds of geometric thinking. Many geometric concepts are embedded in origami. Understanding of the concepts involved and the way the children learn allows the teacher to facilitate activities which are rich in exploration, application, representations, communications and mathematical reasoning. Origami provides a highly engaging and motivating environment within which children extend their geometric experiences and powers of spatial visualization. It gives a venue for their creative nature and invites play, problem solving, and problem posing.

The 5 P's of Origami

Practice As they say practice makes perfect. But practice makes it easier.

Perfection Try to make each fold better than the last one.

Precise Be as accurate as possible with your folds.

Patience Take your time.

Perseverance Try and Try again. Don’t get frustrated.