Overview
Conic sections manipulatives are helpful for high school students to better understand the connection between the cone and these two-dimensional graphs. Here, we share resources for creating these so each student can use the manipulatives to connect to the content.
MakerSpace Files
We provide a smaller version of the conic sections manipulative for 3D printing, as it is quick and costs 38 cents in materials. We also provide paper-based versions for the Cricut that are cheaper (and we suggest creating larger versions for these given the cost and speed).
NOTE: We found that the width of the slots and the type of material are related. So, in downloading the files below, please pay attention to the type of material you may use (PLA plastic, cardstock paper, wood).
Click here to download the 3D Printer set of files in Thingiverse.
Click here to download the SVG files for the Cricut for the cardstock paper version of the manipulative.
Click here to download the original files from MathHappens – these were designed for creating a wood-based version (so the size of the slits are a bit different).
The cost of this manipulative is quite low. For the 3D printed version, it takes 21 grams of filament (38 cents at $18/Kg). For the Cricut version, it takes 1-3 sheets of cardstock (depending on how large a cone you wish to make).
Examples of Use
More to come…
