Give each student a piece of copy paper.
Instructions- What I don't say is just as important as what I do say.
Fold the paper as many times as you need to so that when you unfold it you have 16 equal spaces.
As they finish,
Share- how many got the simple 4 X 4? How many turned the paper the other way? 2 X 8? 16 X 1? All these fulfill the requirements- some are more common than others- you want to think of the more uncommon solutions as you do your art works.
Piece de resistance: show them that if they do the last fold on a diagonal they come out with 16 equal triangles!!! Ah- I never said rectangles- only spaces! It really sets the tone for critical thinking and problem solving!