This lesson has evolved for me through the years. I used to cut the diamond pieces – can you believe that! – then have the students build the basic nine block diamond shape. I’d also have them play making other picture-shapes with the pieces, but the finished piece would be gluing down the nine block diamond. With internet in the classrooms and big screens it’s also fun to show the pattern being used in other mediums; tile, wood, fabric.

So back to the lesson – I do show how to trace the pattern shape using the best positioning to get the most shapes out of a 6×9 paper. Then stress that tracing and cutting play an important part when building the nine block diamond shape.

Below – showing how ‘cool’ using a different camera angle really makes this ‘3D’.