A Mailbox in the Palm of Your Hand

In math, sixth graders learn about proportion by creating a mailbox model to scale.

The goal is for each of them to build, from a single sheet of paper, a three-dimensional model that can stand upright in the palm of the boy’s hand.

The project involves extensive sketching and multiple iterations of design, as the boys use their math knowledge to determine what will and won’t work, and they learn much by sharing and critiquing their various approaches with each other.

In this challenging STEAM project, our boys "learn by hands-on doing," sharing, and problem solving.

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