Construct a Sierpinski Pyramid | | : United States 7th

Construct a Sierpinski Pyramid

United States 7th

Create 64 tetrahedrons and assemble together into units to create the massive, lightweight structure. Wacław Sierpiński is the name of a Polish mathematician famous for extensively describing a certain type of self-similar triangle, which means it’s not only a triangle made out of other triangles, but the drawing pattern repeats independently of the scale. This is true in 2 dimensions and also in 3 dimensions, where instead of a Sierpinski triangle is a Sierpinski pyramid.


Overview and Objectives	05:00	∅	Assign this activity as a student resource. Have students watch the video then continue to Build section.
Materials	05:00	Collect materials before starting.	This section is in teacher view for preparation purposes. The total amount per project is broken down into piece types. If you're assigning this project to many students, it's easier to setup a general material station for them to search for color-coded connectors, straws, etc. Let them count and collect! You can also count pieces ahead of time and arrange into small kits. Multiply each piece type by the number of projects that will be made. For example, if there are 5 student groups then multiply the each piece count by 5 to create 5 projects. Or if there are going to be 10 students individually making projects, multiply by 10.
Preparation	25:00	Prepare the activity before students engage.	Building a Sierpinski Pyramid can be done individually, but we recommend working as a group to assemble tetrahedrons, also known as pyramids. Also, to bend 3-leg connectors for the corners quicker and attach tetrahedrons together.
Build	15:00	∅	The Sierpinski Pyramid is built in the order of: 64 pyramids Create first unit of 4 pyramids together Make 15 more units Combine to make large structure Watch the video to get an idea of the project's structure and a demonstration of how it works. Some may figure out how to construct the project just from pausing the video or looking at a few images from the steps. The instructions are helpful for new builders or those seeking general guidance.