This project is an interesting interactive one. The construction of the cricket reinforces geometric terminology, and transformations. The cricket itself is an amusing small toy, and students will enjoy making it hop. It takes a little practice to make the cricket hop successfully, but students usually figure this out faster than the teacher! It is best to make the origami cricket out of a piece of bright green paper, and preferably a slightly heavier weight than typing paper, although any paper will do. Some students will enjoy decorating their cricket, with eyes, a mouth, and even "whiskers"!
The worksheet that accompanies the Origami Cricket reinforces and reviews many of the right triangle theorems. Finding the measures of angles 1 and 2 provide a review of one of the trickier theorems of Geometry: the Angle Bisector Proportionality Theorem which states that the bisector of an acute angle of a right triangle divides the opposite side into two segments which are proportional to the remaining sides of the triangle:
To construct the origami cricket, follow the instructions below:
Fold on a diagonal of the square:
Rotate the isosceles right triangle 135° counter-clockwise:
Fold on the perpendicular bisector of the base:
Fold on the perpendicular bisector of the hypotenuse, FE. Do this separately for each side as shown:
Fold on the angle bisector of angle FBE twice, on the top portion and on the bottom potion.
You are finished! Turn your cricket over, strike the highest point with your finger, and your cricket will jump!
