Cathedral Geometry

Our homeschool group took a fun trip to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine to learn about geometry.



We started off with a workshop in which the kids made art with geometric forms. They drew a cathedral, traced celtic knotwork patterns, and made tissue paper stained glass windows and mosaics.



Next, we took a tour of the cathedral, hunting for geometric shapes and patterns. We learned about symmetry and how geometric forms help to create a stable structure, and enjoyed looking at the beautiful stained glass.





We also got to hear the organist practicing on the massive pipe organ. It has about 8,500 pipes!

We learned that seven was an important number to the designers of the cathedral. It is 601 feet long (6+0+1=7) and 124 feet wide (1+2+4=7), and has seven chapels (each for different immigrant groups). It also has 14 stained glass windows (2x7=14).

Afterward, we played at the park nextdoor with friends, and enjoyed the children's sculpture garden. Then we visited the Bank Street Bookstore and picked up some homeschooling supplies (including a cool game, Zeus on the Loose, that we will use as math play).