Background

For thousands of years, people the world over have built mazes and labyrinths. The image of an ancient maze is carved onto the wall of a tomb dating back to 3000 BC! Mazes and labyrinths can be two-dimensional, such as one painted onto a floor, or three-dimensional, with raised walls. The latter are often constructed form plants.

Although the two words are often used interchangeably, a labyrinth has just one curving and contorted path to follow, but a maze includes multiple paths with forks and branches that can lead to dead ends. Probably the best-known maze occurs in the Greek myth of Theseus, a young man who entered a maze that was inhabited by a man-eating Minotaur (a creature that's half man, half bull). Theseus succeeded in conquering both the monster and the mysterious maze.

Check out these Web sites for additional historical information about the maze:
History of Mazes
Morton Arboretum's Maze Garden
National Geographic's Amazing Mazes
Newton's Apple Mazes
Garden History's Mazes and Labyrinths

By the sixteenth century, mazes and labyrinths were common features in gardens and were often made by planting tall hedges to form thick walls. These were constructed to provide both fun and mystery. Today, mazes are built for outdoor adventure. Here are some common materials for building mazes (click links to view examples):

The examples above are of mazes constructed on a large scale, but smaller mazes can be just as engaging. Also, if you're concerned about safety, you can design your maze using shorter plants. Even though it takes away a little bit of the mystery, the students can still enjoy the puzzle a maze offers.

You can make a maze permanent by using perennial plants such as evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, or low-growing lamb's ear. Or change it from year to year by using annual plants like corn, sunflowers, or snapdragons. If your space is limited, try making temporary mazes on a paved surface using potted plants (they'll need frequent watering) or hay bales. You can even mow maze into a lawn by letting the grass grow a few inches longer than normal, then cutting paths.

Laying the Groundwork

Ask students what they know about mazes, and if they'd like to include one in their garden or schoolyard. Have them conduct research through books and Web sites, and ask each student find a photo of at least one maze or labyrinth to share with the class. They can also complete 2-D maze sketches to increase their understanding of the puzzle aspect of mazes. Use the following questions to spark discussion:

1. Why do you think people enjoy mazes?

2. What kinds of details do you think we need to consider as we plan our maze? (Appropriate materials for the maze and path, size of path, space available for the maze, etc.)