Title – Easter Egg Infinity Activity

By – Antionette B. Kimball

Primary Subject – Math

Secondary Subject – Art

Grade Level – 3-12

Introduction:

For math class at Easter time, encourage thinking about infinity in a concrete manner.

Here are some concrete examples of infinity:

• A new song could be written by someone every day – forever (as long as mankind exists, which is hopefully forever).
• A new book could be written every day – forever.
  
• Designing is infinite – change one line and you have a new design, as in architecture, art, material, wallpaper, etc.
• Recipes may be infinite.
• Colors may be infinite.

Procedure:

At Easter time, try to prove this theory to your students by introducing them to eggs.
• Start with a book, magazine, catalogue, or a movie on Karl Fabergé. Discuss Fabergé eggs, including the location and value of his collections, etc.

Peter_the_Great_Egg_1903.jpg	CloverEgg2.jpg	Equestrian_Egg.jgp
Faberge2.jpg         All photos from Wikipedia Commons.

• Then move on to paper eggs
  • Make a blank paper egg, about 2″ x 4.” Trace as many as possible on one sheet of paper and roughly cut out as many as possible, one untrimmed egg for each student at least.
  • The students are then free to make designs on their eggs and finish cutting them out. Their designs could be anything – their imaginations are wonderful – not just designs, but pictures and stories and wild dragons, or just designs – different designs.
  • Place all eggs in a paper basket in an outside hallway and encourage students to try and find any two that looked alike.

Final Notes:

• Students really like this lesson. Often months later, a student will approach me and tell me he saw an “egg” in the museum or in the store, etc.
  
• For a while, I also “colored” an egg for each student (about 150) when Dudley’s made a wonderful oil coloring dye, but I don’t think that is available now.
  
• All students seem to enjoy this lesson on infinity.
  

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Antionette B. Kimball

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