By building these shapes out of cardboard and then connecting them together, students are learning the physical constructs of and math relationships among these shapes. Students will also fold, color, stack and construct the solids, replicating each at different scales and sizes to see how they create 3-dimensional space and volumes.

Early scientists and philosophers such as Plato theorized that the five platonic solids were the basis for what modern scientists now consider states of matter. Architect, designer, artist, and Ellis father C. Noël Kennard created the project, called "Polyhedra!", and is working with Mr. Fagersten, art teacher Mel Applebaum, and the Ellis 4th graders to study these shapes. Polyhedra are multi-sided 3-dimensional objects.

After creating their own Platonic solids from paper, cardboard and other materials, students will combine them into structures of their own design and artistic influence. Mr. Kennard calls the exercise an experiment, since this way of thinking and doing will be new to the 4th graders, and, their interpretation of what to do with the platonic solids is limited only by their imaginations. The results of their efforts will be on view during the School’s Fine Arts Festival in April.

“Hands-on building projects like this help students appreciate how scientific and mathematical concepts are not only relevant to their real lives, but also exciting to play with, understand and apply in artistic ways,” said Kennard. The Polyhedra! project will help students understand the significance and application of polyhedra in “real life”, which range from science, engineering and architecture to the triangulated tiger that Katy Perry rode onto the stage during the Super Bowl halftime show.