5 Reasons Why Origami Improves Students’ Skills
Origami, the Japanese art of folding paper, is making a comeback in recent years. Even though some of the oldest examples of origami were discovered in ancient China, and even though its roots go all the way back to ancient Japan, origami can still have a significant impact on education in the modern day. Students are kept interested in this art form while also having their skills subtly improved, including improvements to their spatial perception as well as their logical and sequential thinking.
A Type of Art that Can Be Used in Any Field
Don’t believe me? Researchers have discovered a number of different ways in which origami can make lessons more interesting while also providing students with necessary skills. (If it helps, picture it as vegetables that have been puréed into spaghetti sauce.) The following is a list of ways in which origami can be utilised to improve a variety of skills in your classroom:
An Art Form for All Subjects
In 2003, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that geometry was one of the subject areas that students in the United States struggled with the most. It has been discovered that folding origami can improve one’s understanding of geometric concepts, formulas, and labels, bringing them to life in the process. This is how you should implement it in your lesson: (PDF). Students will learn important vocabulary and different ways to describe a shape if they attach labels to the length, width, and height of an origami structure. You can calculate the area of a structure using origami by applying a formula to the structure in the real world.
Thinking Skills
Origami is a stimulating activity for other learning modes. Learning through hands-on experience has been shown to improve one’s ability to visualise space more clearly. Children who have such skills are able to comprehend and characterise the world around them, as well as create their own vernacular for describing it. Find origami or geometric shapes in the natural world and then have your students describe them using terms from the geometrical world.
Fractions
Many students find the idea of fractions to be extremely unsettling. A tactile demonstration of fractions can be accomplished by folding pieces of paper. You can use origami in your classroom to illustrate the concepts of one-half, one-third, or one-fourth by folding paper and asking students how many folds they would need to make a particular shape. This activity can be done with any number of students. The concept of infinity can also be illustrated by folding a piece of paper in half, then again in half, and so on until the paper is completely creased.
Problem Solving
In most cases, there is only one correct answer to an assignment, and there is only one way to get there. Children benefit from origami because it allows them to solve problems that aren’t predetermined for them and it teaches them to be comfortable with the idea of failing (i.e. trial and error). You could demonstrate a shape to your students and then challenge them to think of a way to recreate it. They may arrive at the solution through a variety of different methods. Keep in mind that there is no answer that is incorrect.
Fun Science
Using origami to illustrate physics principles is an enjoyable way to do so. If you fold a thin piece of paper into accordion folds, it will become significantly stronger than it was before. (If you need evidence, just look at the side of a cardboard box.) This is the fundamental idea behind bridges. In addition, using origami to illustrate molecules is a fun way to do so. The shape of tetrahedrons and other polyhedra can be found in a great number of molecules.
Bonus: Just Plain Fun!
I really hope that there is no need for me to explain what fun is. The following is a list of activities, along with diagrams, that will keep those young minds and hands busy.
No Papering Over Origami’s Benefits
Children have a natural affinity for origami, as is evident by the enthusiasm with which they construct their first paper aeroplane, paper hat, or paper boat. Even if we don’t think about it all the time, we’re surrounded by origami: it’s in everything from brochures and fancy towels to envelopes, paper fans, and even the folds in our shirts. Origami envelops us (forgive the pun). Research (PDF) has shown that practising origami can improve not only one’s ability to perceive three dimensions but also one’s capacity for concentration and focus.
Researchers have discovered that students who practise math with origami are more successful overall. It is an untapped resource for supplementing math instruction and can be used for geometric construction, determining geometric and algebraic formulas, and increasing manual dexterity along the way. In some ways, it is an untapped resource for supplementing math instruction. The acronym “STEAM” stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics; origami is a fantastic way to combine all of these disciplines at once.
No Papering Over Origami’s Benefits
Even though most educational institutions have not yet caught on to the concept of origami as a STEAM engine (the merging of these fields), origami is already being used to solve challenging problems in the field of technology. Artists and engineers have collaborated to figure out how to fold an airbag in such a way that it can be stored in a relatively small area but still be deployed in a very short amount of time. In addition, the National Science Foundation, which is one of the largest funding agencies in the government, has supported a few programmes that link engineers with artists to use origami in design. These programmes link engineers with artists to use origami in design. The concepts include everything from solar panels made of foldable plastic to medical forceps.
And the presence of origami in natural settings never ceases to astound scientific researchers. There are many species of beetles that have wings that are significantly larger than their bodies. In point of fact, they can be anywhere from two to three times as large as the original. How are they able to pull something like that off? Their wings unfold into intricate patterns resembling origami. It’s not just the insects, either. Buds on leaves are folded in complex patterns that are reminiscent of origami art as well. The art of origami can serve as a wellspring of creativity for people of all ages, including children and adults.
Origami is a STEAM Engine
It doesn’t matter how you fold it, but origami is a great way to get kids interested in math, it can help them improve their skills, and it teaches them to have a deeper appreciation for the world around them. Origami is at the top of the class when it comes to bringing excitement into the classroom.