Parent & Child Activities
Activity #1: Sort the House
This activity focuses on classifying different shapes found in the environment. Start by walking around the house and collecting different household objects with your child. Once you collect the objects, ask your child to sort the basic two dimensional objects. While your child is sorting the two dimensional objects, ask them why the put each object where they did. The questions that you ask your child should prompt them to respond by referencing the definitions of the various shapes. By doing so, you can see if your child has a basic understanding of the definition of each two-dimensional shape. Next, you can ask your child to sort the three-dimensional objections that they found around the house. Ask them the same type of questions as you did for the two-dimensional objects. If you think your child is ready for a challenge, you could ask them to compare the two-dimensional to the three-dimensional objects. You can do this same activity informally by asking your child about the different objects in your house or in the environment, as you go about your daily routines.
Connection to Standards-
By doing this activity with your child, you are helping them meet the second grade standards listed above. This activity connects with the standards because it has your child recognizing, naming, and describing various two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. By asking you child questions about the different shapes you are helping them to clarify their comprehension and deepen their understanding of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.
- 2.9.2.A: Name, describe and draw/build 2- and 3-dimensional shapes
- CCSS.Math.Content.2.G.A.1 Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.1 Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
By doing this activity with your child, you are helping them meet the second grade standards listed above. This activity connects with the standards because it has your child recognizing, naming, and describing various two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. By asking you child questions about the different shapes you are helping them to clarify their comprehension and deepen their understanding of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes.
Activity #2: Simply Symmetrical
This activity is a creative way that you an your child can explore the concept of symmetry and geometric patterns, through objects in your environment. First, walk through your house and search for symmetrical designs. Look at wallpaper, pictures, flooring, ect. As you search for symmetrical designs, take this opportunity to discuss with your child, what makes an object symmetrical. Next, you and your child should look through a magazine in search of a symmetrical picture. Once you find one, cut it in half along the line of symmetry. Take a blank piece of paper and on one side, glue one half of the magazine picture. On the other side of the paper, challenge your child to try and draw the missing half of the picture.
Connection to Standards-
- 2.9.2.B: Identify and draw lines of symmetry.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
Activity #3: How Many Ways?
A really easy way for you to help enhance your child's understanding of shapes, is through the use of pattern blocks. You don't need to go out to the store and buy pattern blocks! If you click the button below, it will take you to a website where you can print free pattern blocks. The pattern blocks aren't colored, but that is something you and your child can do together. Once your pattern blocks are cut out and ready to use, ask your child to use the pattern blocks to see how many different ways they can make a rectangle. The rectangles can be of varying sizes. Ask your child which rectangle is made up of the most amount of pattern blocks and which rectangle is made up of the least amount of pattern blocks. Once your child is done creating and justifying the rectangles, ask them to do the same activity creating other shapes. This activity will help your child to see the connections between the different two-dimensional shapes.
Connection to Standards-
By doing this activity with your child you are helping them meet the second grade standards listed above. This activity connects to the standards because it requires your child to recognize, name, construct, and describe two-dimensional shapes. This activity will help your child to see the connections between the different two-dimensional shapes. When you ask your child the questions described in the activity, you are helping them to deepen their understanding of two-dimensional shapes.
- 2.9.2.A: Name, describe and draw/build 2- and 3-dimensional shapes
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
- CCSS.Math.Content.2.G.A.1 Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.1 Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.
By doing this activity with your child you are helping them meet the second grade standards listed above. This activity connects to the standards because it requires your child to recognize, name, construct, and describe two-dimensional shapes. This activity will help your child to see the connections between the different two-dimensional shapes. When you ask your child the questions described in the activity, you are helping them to deepen their understanding of two-dimensional shapes.
References:
- http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/its-hip-to-be-a-square/
- http://www.math.com/parents/articles/mathhome.html
- http://www.aug.edu/~lcrawford/Tools/pattern_blocks.pdf