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Windchimes, Hexagons, And Algebra, Melvin C. Thornton
Windchimes, Hexagons, And Algebra, Melvin C. Thornton
ADAPT Lessons: Mathematics
This material was presented to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in February 1996 in Rapid City, South Dakota under the title “Three Courses, Two Puzzles, and One Idea.”
This mathematical exercise is presented in the form of a learning cycle. The purpose of the exercise is to experience the application of elementary pure mathematics (9th grade algebra) to solve a physical and a geometric problem. The content is actually a special case of what has been called spirolaterals.
The physical problem is to hang six different weights on a windchime so it hangs level. The geometric problem is …