Doesn't that look wonderful? A luscious chocolate doughnut whose shape is perfect for a math classroom. I was at a conference back in July in Denver and as part of the celebration of science, they arranged for a food truck to be right outside the hotel. Of course the food truck sold doughnuts because its basic shape if of a torus.
Imagine bringing a box of doughnuts to class one day with the idea of using them to teach tori in the classroom. Something students might get into but doughnuts are not the only food item we eat with a torus shape.
People often enjoy a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Check it out before you slice it and notice it has the correct shape for classification as a torus. Another thing are onion rings you get with your hamburger. Those onion rings have the same shape as a torus. Wow, you could serve quite a few food in this particular shape. If you extend foods out to include those with a toroidal patterns, you can include so much more. Apples and tomatoes actually meed the definition for a toroidal pattern.
Once you've introduce this topic along with examples of foods that meet the criterial for toroidal patterns, ask them to think about and decide if the following foods can be classified this way:
1. Calamari
2. Tortalini
3. Canned Pineapple
4. Bialys Pasteries
5. Bundt Cakes
6. Pears
7. Dried apples
8. Jelly Salad molds.
9. Round Pretzels
10. Samosas
11. Cherrios
12. Sliced Olives.
As they think about the above list, they need to keep in mind, the definition of a toroidal pattern. When they decide yes or no, they need to provide justification for their answer. This way they show their thinking when classifying them as one or not. As a reward, students can eat the items when they are done.
Hope you enjoyed this idea. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.
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