Marshmallow Geometry

MARSHMALLOW GEOMETRY How many geometric shapes can you build? Does the geometry change when you eat them? This delicious project combines, building, engineering and math. Children build geometric shapes using toothpicks and mini-marshmallows. You can build everything from triangles and squares to octahedrons, icosahedrons and many more. It’s fun, easy and sweet.

HOW TO PRESENT IT TO YOUR GROUP: 1. Make a sample of a simple shape and a more complex shape. I usually start with a triangle, a pyramid and a cube. 2. Show students your samples and show them how you put the tooth- picks in the marshmallows to form shapes. Let them know that they will get as much material as they need to create their geometric shapes. 3. Show them the chart of geometric shapes that you printed from the internet or a book. Read some of the geometric names and speculate about interesting shapes. 4. Be specific about how many marshmallows they can eat now and how much they keep intact for later. 5. Put the shape charts where children can see them. 6. Put an 8"-10" paper plate at each student’s place. They will build right on the plate.

7. Put marshmallows and toothpicks on student plates. 8. Replenish marshmallows and toothpicks as necessary. You will go through toothpicks faster than marshmallows.

THE LESSON: Children will be hands-on in creating geometric shapes. Shapes and angles will not be an abstract concept when stu- dents make their own. You will see everything from one dimensional squares and triangles to complex three dimen- sional, multi-sided shapes.



PRESCHOOL VERSION: Squares, cubes, triangles and pyramids are simple shapes that children can build to understand a bit about shapes and building. Use simple shapes and geometry and building vocabulary. This is a fun activity that generally lasts 15-20 minutes.

VOCABULARY: Geometry, geometric, strut, support, cube, three dimensional, one dimensional