Appreciation of mathematics through origami

Abstract

The purpose of this classroom note is to provide an example of how a simple origami box can be used to explore important mathematical concepts in geometry like surface area. This article describes how an origami box can be folded from a rectangular sheet of paper, then it goes on to describe how its surface area can be determined in terms of the dimensions of the rectangular sheet that was used to construct the box.

Keywords:

• origami
• geometry
• calculus
• multiple intelligences
• volume
• functions
• conceptual understanding
• classroom activity

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the members of the Reviewing Committee for providing significant feedback. The author also thanks Mr Marvin E. Mears (Marky), from Valdosta State University, GA, USA, for reading the manuscript and providing feedback.