Just a Dab of Creativity

Have I mentioned I love my math class? It is all applying math concepts to a classroom and using our own individual creativity. 

Today we made our own Polynesian tapa cloth. Basically our assignment was to create a tapa cloth using geometric designs that have either rotations, translations or reflections.

This activity required a lot of imagination, which is kind of difficult when you have been up since the crack of dawn, literally. But alas, we did succeed and all of our cloths turned out really neat.

How it works:

1. Draw a grid on a white piece of paper (preferably square)
2. Create a design that has some sort of reflection, translation or rotation in it (just a sketch)
3. Get a larger square of brown paper that is more rough on one side than the other and create another grid that replicates your sketch/rough draft
4. Draw your sketch on to the brown paper
5. Outline all of your lines in a black permanent marker
6. Color in anything you want to remain black
7. Crumple up your piece of paper into a tight ball and then undo it. 
8. Iron flat (yes, a real iron) your wrinkled paper
9. Using a rag you want to throw away, dip your rag into brown dye and cover your paper with it. 
10. Once your paper has been covered, ring out the rag and gently wipe it across the page to remove any remaining dye
11. Set it in the sun to dry.
12. Once it has dried take a Q-tip and dip it in bleach and rub thoroughly, yet gently across the areas you want to be white. Don't worry about getting it on the black lines. It won't bleach it out because you outlined in a permanent marker. 

Here are our final products!