Virtual Museum – Math – Animals

Make Connections: You and Me and Math

Created through the collaboration of TERC and YMCA OF SILICON VALLEY, made possible by the Heising-Simons Foundation.

 
Download files are in English and Spanish.

Children investigate geometry (shapes and positions like above and below) through animal-themed crafts, games, and puzzles.

Ages 2 and Up:

  • Make playdough animals: long, thin snakes, oval eggs, round turtles.
  • Put together dinosaur puzzles.
  • Use geometric shapes, such as triangles, rectangles, and circles, to create animal pictures.

Under 2s:

  • Investigate which animals fit through a paper tube.
  • Find animal toys hidden under a cup and under a blanket.
  • Find and hide animal toys under a blanket.

THEMES
Animals—fur, fins, feathers, and scales.. Use the unit for mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.
Dinosaurs, Mammals, Ocean life … any animals, around the world!. Replace animals that don’t fit your theme with animals of a similar shape. Use the same activity and Talk About questions. For example, the porcupine (2A) could be a stegosaurus or sea urchin; the triangle fish (4A) could be a triangle cat. For more puzzles (3A and 3B), cut pictures into the same shapes as the dinosaurs.

MATH: GEOMETRY
As children are doing the activities, help them learn math by:

  • Describing shapes and positions with math words, such as square, round, above (all ages)
  • Encouraging children to explain how they know if a shape is a triangle. (2 and Up)
  • Asking children to compare shapes: How are they the same? How are they different? (2 and Up)

MATERIALS
Ages 2 and Up:

  • Download files
  • Small paper plates (4 per child)
  • Playdough in different colors (enough for each child to make and take home several creations)
  • Two glue sticks
  • Several sheets of brown and green construction paper (see below under “Other preparation”)
  • Box of about 250 toothpicks
  • Child safe plastic knife
  • Six envelopes large enough for puzzle pieces for Activities 3A and 3B (see below under “Other preparation”)
  • Construction paper (2-4 pieces per child)
  • Tub of several hundred geometric foam stickers. Make sure tub includes many triangles.

Under 2:

  • Download files
  • Small paper plates (4 per child)
  • Dish towel or cloth, if possible with animal print
  • Two soft blocks, if possible with animal pictures
  • Two identical plastic or paper cups
  • Animal toy that fits in a cup
  • Small sheet or blanket
  • Chair safe for a baby to crawl under