Struts 'n Stuff
Patterns/Relationships
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Objective
Students will identify the relationship between the number of sides in a regular
polygon and the number of struts (diagonals) needed to make each polygon rigid.
Students will determine the surface area of a region.
Overview of the Lesson
Students build polygons using strips of paper and paper fasteners to explore the
attributes of triangles, rectangles, pentagons, and hexagons. From their explorations
they discern that triangles form the only rigid polygon. They are challenged to
determine the least number of struts or supports they would need to add to the
rectangles, pentagons, and hexagons to make them rigid. Students then record their
findings in a chart and look for patterns. They use the pattern to state a rule that
shows the relationship between the number of sides in a polygon and the number of
struts needed to make it rigid. To further reinforce these concepts, students make a
graph showing this relationship. Students use the graph to predict the number of
struts needed to make different polygons rigid. Finally, the class discusses the
relationship between the number of sides of a polygon and the number of triangles
formed by the struts. Students look for a pattern in order to make a generalization.
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