Our 5th and 6th grade students are making Soma puzzles from hardwood cubes as part of their studies in math. More about Soma Cubes can be found at Wikipedia or at the Mathematische Basteleien website. To prepare for this lesson, I milled 7/8 in. square hardwood stock in 3 species and then cut cubes from it using the sled and stop block on the table saw. I cut hundreds of cubes and will cut hundreds more from the remaining stock before next week's lesson.

The Mathematische Basteleien Website is a great resource for hands-on exercises to reinforce math skills. check out the Froebel Star inspired by Friedrich Froebel, inventor of Kindergarten.