Challenge your students to a little game of science and skill. Explain that you are going to cut a hole in a half sheet of newspaper in such a way you and a friend will be able to walk through the hole at the same time without tearing the paper. Needless to say, this challenge seems impossible. Of course, part of the fun of the activity is allowing the students to try to come up with a solution to the challenge on their own. Wait to share the secret until the students have tried to solve the problem on their own.
Materials:
- Half sheet of newspaper per student (size is not important)
- Scissors
Presentation:
Start by folding the piece of newspaper in half. With the folded edge facing you, make a series of straight line cuts that just stop about 1 inch from the edge of the paper. Space the cuts about 2 inches apart (Step 1).
Then, turn the paper around and make cuts from the other end of the paper that are in-between the first series of cuts and that also stop about 1 inch from the edge of the paper (Step 2). Except for the first and last strip on the ends, cut off the folded ends of the remaining strips (Step 3). Carefully unfold the newspaper to reveal a giant hole. The last step is to walk through the enormous whole without tearing the newspaper.
With a half sheet of newspaper you will be able to create a huge hole. As a follow-up activity have the students repeat the activity using a sheet of notebook paper or an index card. You will be surprised to discover the size of the hole that you can make with even the smallest piece of paper.
