Updates and Reminders
Math:
Dear Parents,
For the next two weeks, your child will be learning about 2-D shapes. The goals will
be for your child to use shapes to make other shapes, to identify shapes that are
congruent (the same size and shape), and to recognize symmetry in shapes. These
skills will help your child to understand that many shapes are related to one another
and that shapes can be sorted and given the same name, such as a set of
parallelograms or a set of triangles. Your child should begin to notice interesting
geometric designs in his or her world. You might talk to your child about how these
designs have been created. At the end of the chapter, your child will be using
knowledge of shapes to create geometric designs. Throughout the two weeks, you
and your child may engage in activities such as:
• Your child can look for shape puzzles at home. Look in resources such as
newspapers and puzzle books. Your child could bring a puzzle to school to display
on a class bulletin board or puzzle table.
• Your child can find and list things around the house that have more than one line
of symmetry, and sketch at least 4 of these items and show the lines of symmetry.
• Your child could plan a symmetrical design for one wall of a bedroom or some
other room in the house. This might include the placement of pictures or posters
on the wall. Your child can draw a sketch of the symmetrical design, draw the line
of symmetry, and describe how the design was created.
• Your child can find something at home, such as a rug, a vase, or a bedspread, that
has an interesting geometric pattern. Have your child draw the pattern and describe
attributes such as congruent shapes, lines of symmetry, and colour. Your child should
then describe how the pattern was made. This is called the pattern rule. Your child
might take the real object or a drawing of the object to class to share with others.
You may want to visit
www.mathk8.nelson.com for more suggestions to help your child
learn mathematics and for books that relate children’s literature to 2-D geometry. Also
check the Web site for links to other sites that provide online tutorials, math problems,
and brainteasers.
If your child is using a
Mathematics 3 Workbook, pages 57–63 belong to Chapter 7.
There is a page of practice questions for each of the 6 lessons in the chapter and a
Test Yourself page at the end. If your child requires assistance, you can refer to the
At-Home Help box on each Workbook page.
