Parkerville Steiner College | A Compelling Alternative for High School in the Perth Hills

Platonic Solids

Class Eight have just completed the Platonic Solids - Geometry Main Lesson, scrambling to finish their work to the exacting standards that Plato would expect. To work out of geometric relationships without relying upon measurement is to immerse oneself into the true nature of the forms according to Plato. It is an ancient way that retains the soul and spirit of our relationship with the world around us.

Instead of giving the students a photocopy of a net of one of the five solids, to simply cut out and assemble, the students had to grapple with experimenting, designing, and creating their own net from scratch. In this process, the form comes alive from within their own beings. They learn to have confidence in their own capacity to think and create.

The class started with simple 2D forms within a circle and finished with 3D complex interrelated duals. Along the way, they designed their own tessellation posters, inspired by M.C. Escher. The students also brought their will into making and transforming clay models into their related dual shapes. They also did this with their own bodies in activities and games.

It was a privilege to bring this to questioning and open minds.

John Bluntschli | Geometry Teacher