Summer Camp is for parents and kids to work together, exploring the world around you with activities that will take you outside, inside, and as far as your imagination will go! Learn more by reading the Welcome to KinderTown Summer Camp! blog post.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Math-U-See® is a complete K-12 math curriculum produced by Demme Learning. This unique program develops by level, rather than by grade, presenting mathematical concepts incrementally. Students use manipulatives at most levels to establish an understanding of the concepts and then move on to solving problems until they have demonstrated mastery.
Geometrical shapes aren’t just manufactured: they’re everywhere! In the lower levels of Math-U-See, students learn to identify basic shapes; later, they explore the characteristics of shapes, such as symmetry, and learn how to draw lines and shapes on a coordinate grid. This nature scavenger hunt provides a fun way to apply these mathematical skills.
Download this PDF file to follow along with the activities.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preschool-Early Elementary: Have your child collect at least 5 different objects from nature that have different shapes. Ask: which objects have shapes that are close to circles? Which are close to squares? Rectangles? Triangles? Ovals? Hearts?
- Elementary: Have your child collect at least 5 different objects from nature that show symmetry around a line. (Fig. 2) Ask: where you can draw a line to divide the object into two mirror images? Can you do this in more than one way?
- Upper Elementary: Have your student collect 5 interesting objects from nature. He should choose one to place on the coordinate grid (Fig. 1). Draw a dot wherever the edge of the object meets an intersection on the grid. Have your student label each dot with an ordered pair.
EXAMPLE:
Now remove the object from the grid. Show your grid and objects to another member of your family. Can that person guess which object fits inside the dots?
Related Blog Posts
The Great Outdoors: Opening Ceremony
The Great Outdoors: App Connections
The Great Outdoors: Grab Bag
The Great Outdoors: Closing Campfire
Next series: How Creative!