Activities

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Students: The links on this page give you a chance to try some hands-on knot activities. In addition to being fun, these activities will give you a foundation for working with knots as mathematical objects.

Teachers: Many of the pages are written in a lesson plan format and are classroom-ready for teachers who wish to introduce students to this rich and valuable area of mathematical study (See NCTMStandards addressed by these Knot Theory activities).

 

Transforming knot!WANTED! Can you untangle this knot’s many disguises, or will we be “trefoiled” again? Find out how well you can “unravel” a mystery! A Knot Theory original page by Mr. Payne!

The Hunt for Trefoil D. Knot!
Jump right into the action on the interactive search for a master of knot disguise! Spectacular graphics make this online game instructional and fun! A Knot Theory interactive original from Mr. Payne!
Virtual Reality Knots!  Don’t have any rope handy? No problem! Twist and turn real 3D models of knots online to get a better picture of mathematical knots in motion. (Thanks to Dr. Rob Scharein of the University of British Columbia.)

 

Knot Observations – This activity is a great way to experience knots for the first time. By discovering properties of knots and putting these observations into words you can gain experience in using language to describe spatial properties.

Classroom Menagerie of Mathematical Knots – In this activity, you will explore the structure of knots by forming knots from their diagrams. Being able to form knots from their picture representation will allow you to study knots more easily.

Are They the Same–or Knot? – One of the fundamental questions of Knot Theory is whether two knots are equivalent. This cooperative learning activity has you deform (“mess up”) knots and give them to another group to untangle and classify.

The Knot Chart – This chart of 20 knots for you to form and experiment with is a great resource to have in your exploration of knots in mathematics.

3D Chart of Knots & Links – 108 knots and links in beautiful color & 3D, found at Dr. Scharein’s Knot Plot Site.