Tangram- Craft

What is Tangram?
The Tangram, is one of the most popular puzzles in the world. This enigma is formed by 7 polygons and the goal is to organize all the pieces to form geometric figures.

This mathematic puzzle was, more then 100 years ago, so famous as the Rubik Cube, and it was played for many as entertainment, educational tool or mathematic tool. Tangram makes easier to recognize the geometrical forms by young children, and helps on mathematical problems resolution.
The seven polygons that form Tangram are called "tans" and they are organized like the picture

Tangram goal
The goal of this game is to place all the 7 polygons in the right position to form a given design. Sometimes there is more then one solution, alternatives solutions are acceptable as long as they have exactly the same design that is asked.

Basic rules:

• You must use all the 7 pieces;
• All the pieces must be plain;
• The pieces must touch each other;
• The pieces can't be overlapped;
• Pieces can be rotated and/or turned up side down to form the design.

The first challenge we face when we want to play this millenary game is the Tangram itself. Drawing it from scratch is a good option. you can make it the right size for you and chose the colors you like the most, that’s the first step "to make the game yours", and that’s very important in the learning process.

Today we are going to show you how to do this.

We will need:

1. 1 sheet of cardstock, EVA, cardboard or other material,
2. ruler,
3. square,
4. pencil,
5. eraser,
6. scissors.

This step by step is very simple, just try to be exact on the measures.

1- Use the scissors to cut a square shape:

2- Draw a straight line between B and H, dividing the square into two equal triangles: 

3- Find the exact middle of the line HB, name that point D: 

4- Now draw another line from vertice A to point D, at this time you must have three triangles.

5- Find the exactly middle between B and J, that will be the E point. Now do the same to the H and J, that will be the I point.

6- Now draw a line from E to I.

7- Draw a line that makes a 90º angle between point D and line IE , in other words elongate the line AD.

8- With the help of the ruler and the square draw 1 parallel line to DG and another parallel line to the line AH.

To personalize your Tangram puzzle, and create something really unic, paint it in your favorite color, or use a pattern, after painting cut all the polygons to have the 7 geometrical figures.

Images bellow were found on Internet, and are only a few of many possible images we can form using Tangram pieces.

Although the original form of Tangram is a square, there are other Tangram forms, like the egg and the round shape:

References: http://www.archimedes-lab.org/tangramagicus/pagetang1.html#; http://bloguinhovania.blogspot.com/2010/05/como-fazer-o-tangram-com-dobradura.html

Et voilá!

Fun with geometric forms

Enjoy!