
Do you recognize this object? It’s a pop-up card! Well, it’s the foundation of a pop-up card—without any decorations. Watch how all the shapes move together when the card is opened and closed. What could we turn this card into? A dinosaur, like the one in Matthew Reinhart’s video, perhaps?
In the time-stamped version of the video below, Reinhart explains two of the support structures that he frequently uses, the v-fold and layer. These support structures are called pop-up mechanisms—elements that cause movement on the surface of the page. In this activity, you will build v-fold mechanisms and explore the geometry that makes them pop. You will explore the layer mechanism in a later activity.
Materials

Remember to be careful when using sharp tools and always cut on a cutting mat…