Modular Origami Cube

Making a Cube You will need 6 squares of paper. You will need at least 3 different colors of squares (e.g., 2 red squares, 2 yellow squares, and 2 blue squares).

Questions for discussion: What are the properties of a square? Is a square a special rectangle? Is a square a special parallelogram? Is a square a special rhombus? Is a square a quadrilateral?

Quadrilateral Flow Chart Parallelogram Kite Square RhombusRectangle Trapezoid Isosceles Trapezoid QUADRILATERALS

Step 1. Fold the square in half along the horizontal line of symmetry.

Questions for discussion: What shape is created? What are its properties?

Step 2. Fold the square in half along its vertical line of symmetry.

Questions for discussion: What shape is created? Is this shape congruent to the one created in the previous step? How do you know?

Step 3. Fold the top edge to the horizontal line of symmetry (the horizontal center fold line).

Step 4. Fold the bottom edge to the horizontal line of symmetry (the horizontal center fold line).

Step 5. Unfold the square. Make sure the square is oriented so that the fold lines are horizontal. Fold the top right corner down to the first horizontal fold line, and fold the lower left corner up to the third horizontal fold line.

Step 6. Leaving the two corners folded down from step 5, fold the top and bottom edges to the center horizontal line of symmetry.

Step 7. Fold the top left hand corner down to the middle of the bottom edge.

Step 8. Fold the lower right hand corner up to the middle of the top edge.

Questions for discussion: What shape is created? What are its properties?

Step 9. Open the parallelogram and tuck in the triangles formed from steps 7 and 8 under the “dog-eared” flaps.

Step 10. Flip the parallelogram over and fold the acute angles to the adjacent obtuse angles.

Questions for discussion: What shape is created? What are its properties?

Step 12. Repeat steps 1-10 on the remaining 5 squares.

Assembling the Cube Each parallelogram now has a side that has a square in the center composed of four quadrants.

Each quadrant has an open edge, or pocket. Two of the pockets have a single- layered edge and the other two pockets have a folded, or double-layered edge.

To form the cube, insert each flap (acute angle) of one parallelogram into the single-layered pocket of another parallelogram.