Cindy Murphy’s algebra class is having fun in class these days
as they use geometry to come up with a design for homemade
kites.

The students are in eighth-grade at Floyd C. Fretz Middle
School.

“They find the surface area and volume using geometry to make
the kites, to find out what kind of shapes they have,” said
Murphy.

What the students come up with are four small tetrahedron shapes
using straws and string. A tretrahedron is made up of four
triangular faces. Later, tissue paper is applied.

Her students were working three in a group making the kites,
seemingly enjoying themselves, a break from the usual mathematical
grind.

“They will take them out and fly them on a windy day,” added
Murphy, saying the students just go outside to the football field
to see their work in action.

She said some teachers go as far as to use a clinometer with
their students using additional math to figure out how high the
kites are actually flying.

Murphy said some students work together and tie their shapes
together to come up with one large kite.

The group of Lynzy Wheaton, Krista Piganelli and Meagan Hillard
said they didn’t want to put all of their tetrahedrons
together.

“We want to have each of our own,” said Hillard. “I am going to
decorate mine blue and white for Penn State.”

Wheaton said she was going to decorate hers polka dotted and
Piganelli said she was going to make hers pink and yellow – like
her bedroom.

“It’s very hard work – it’s harder than it looks,” added Wheaton
before turning back to her group to giggle and talk about who is
doing better at the construction.

Two students from the Math 8 class said they were surprised when
the kites they made actually flew.

Rachel Avey said she was part of a group of three that put
theirs together into one.

“We didn’t know we would be doing it this year,” said Avey. “It
was fun.”

Stephen Wilber agreed, adding the kites “flew good.”

That class completed their kites a couple of weeks ago before
taking them out for a test run.

The algebra students all agreed it was a more exciting way of
working a math problem.

By the end of the class period Friday, one student had attached
all of his tetrahedrons, next step, tissue paper.