This section has just been a sampler of some of the basic concepts in knot theory. This activity is for the entire class and is best done in an open space with no furniture. All students stand in a circle with their eyes closed, holding their arms out in front of them. They begin walking forward. When they meet in the middle, each student grabs two available hands.
Students open their eyes and try to untangle the knot.
Legal operations are stepping over and under, in and out, and twisting. It is illegal to drop hands and break the chain. The pairs sit across from one another at a desk, with a standing book or other barrier blocking the work space from one another's view. Student X ties a simple knot in her rope. She instructs Student Y how to tie the same knot, without letting him see it.