2nd Grade Math: Geometry Games

Why is Geometry important?

The universe is built of shapes and geometry is the mathematics of it. But often the geometric field of mathematics is neglected. The importance of geometry is not realized until it gets abstract and one deal with geometry proofs examples or geometry theorems.

The field of geometry is broad and has many applications. Often, problems of other field become easier to solve when it is represented geometrically. The study of geometric relationships is used in the field of architecture and landscaping. It is seen that the many people think better visually. Geometry makes visualization logical.

Moreover, geometry connects many other fields of mathematics. For example, interpretation of bar graph involves finding the area of a rectangle. Fractions are better understood through the representation of geometric pictures. Equal sized squares are used to represent tens, hundreds, and thousands. Coordinate geometry is used to analyze algebraic relationships. Therefore, geometry is one area of mathematics that is used most widely in learning math and also other fields.

The kids are introduced to geometry math during early school years. The geometry common core math standards involve an introduction to geometry in prekindergarten. Discovering geometry helps children develop deductive problem-solving skills.  

Progression of Geometry:

Related-below Grade Standard

Grade 1: In this grade, children develop skills to reason with shapes and attributes. They understand basic geometric shapes definition. They analyze shapes from their defining attributes, like number of sides. They compose two dimensional and three-dimensional shapes to make larger composite shapes. They learn to partition rectangles and circle into equal shares. They learn the vocabulary related to partitionings like quarters, fourths and halves.

Grade 2: The kids learn to identify and draw shapes according to the given attributes. They learn to draw shapes as per the specified number of faces or geometry angles. They are able to identify cubes, pentagons, hexagons, quadrilateral, and triangles. They also learn to partition a rectangle into same-sized squares. They then count these squares to determine the size of the rectangle. The kids learn to partition rectangles and circles into two to four equal shares. They describe the partitioned shapes using the geometry words like half of, third of, thirds, halves. They understand the wholes as four fourths, three-thirds, and two halves.

Related-above Grade Standard

Grade 3: The kids understand the relationship between shapes according to their attributes. They learn about the larger category shapes with shared attributes. For example, the shapes with four sides are called quadrilaterals. They partition shapes into equal parts. They learn to express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, they partition a shape into three equal parts and describe the area of each part as 1/3 of the area of the whole.

An Overview: Grade 2 Geometry

Attributes of shapes:  The kids continue to build on their geometric understanding from grade 1. They gradually develop an analytical thinking from the descriptive thinking developed in grade 1. They learn to recognize shapes by their geometric properties. They recognize a shape by number of angles or number of sides. They also learn to use geometric words like face, edge, vertex in their descriptions.

They learn that a quadrilateral is a four-sided closed figure. The shapes like square, rectangle and trapezoid are quadrilaterals. They also learn about polygons like pentagons, hexagons and 3D shape cube.        

Create and compose shapes: The kids learn to identify different polygons and also learn their names. They recognize the polygons by counting the number of sides or vertices. They learn to identify polygons like pentagons, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, quadrilaterals, and triangles. They perform activities that broaden their understanding and clarify the common misconceptions. For example, they create and compose shapes using sticks of various lengths. They manipulate and construct two-dimensional shapes on geoboards. This helps them deepen their newly learned skills.

Relate 2D and 3D geometric shapes: The kids relate two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. They create 3D geometric shapes using sticks or toothpicks. They create shapes like cube using sticks. They count the number of faces and the number corners of the constructed shape. They identify geometry angles like right angles formed at corners. They also learn to relate the face of 3D geometric shapes to the 2D shapes. For example, they identify the face of a cube as a square. 

Partition shapes: The kids partition composite shapes and explore relationships between parts and wholes. They describe the parts as halves, thirds or fourths. They describe the wholes as two halves, three-thirds and four fourths. They use geometry puzzles like tangram to understand the composition of a shape. They manipulate the pieces of puzzles to explore different ways to compose new shapes. For example, they notice that smaller shapes can be repositioned in multiple ways to form a variety of larger shapes. For example, they use two right triangles to form a square. They form a variety of shapes like parallelogram, trapezoid, and rhombus on geometry puzzles. 

The kids further explore their understanding of shapes using pattern blocks. They experiment with pattern blocks. For example, they create hexagon from six triangle shape blocks. This develops an understanding that the hexagon can be partitioned into six equal triangles. Alternatively, they realize that a trapezoid is composed of three equal sized triangles. In this case, each triangle described as a third.

A variety of partitioned shapes in different orientations is presented to kids to deepen their understanding. For example, the kids are asked to determine if the partitioned portion of a shape represents half of the figure. The kids perform various activities to understand the concept. For example, they assemble the parts to form a whole. In which, they assemble two equal parts of a circle to form a whole circle.  The kids practice partitioning circles and rectangles on geoboards. The geometry lessons on partitioning circles serve as the foundation for telling time to a half hour or a quarter hour on an analog clock.

Geometry Games for 2nd Graders        

Geometry games can help achieve a number of instructional goals. The games can prepare settings in which the kids visualize or create a shape. The games enable the educator to assess the how well the kids have understood a concept. It also enables them to get an impression of how kids apply their knowledge under different scenarios.

Here are two popular geometric learning games for 2nd graders:

• Tangrams: Geometry Problem Solver

What is tangram?

Tangram is a Chinese puzzle consisting of 7 tans or shapes. The kids have to arrange these shapes to recreate a given shape.

The rule of the puzzle requires all the shapes to be used without overlapping. Playing with tangrams help kids improve their spatial understanding. They also learn about spatial rotation skills the tracing to the opposite player. The opposite player needs to solve the picture by fitting in the 7 tans correctly. A timer can be set before the players begin placing the shapes in the outline. Whoever solves the puzzle first, wins the game. The players can also create geometry formula sheet consisting of the ways the tans are used to create any shape.

This game particularly enables kids to think critically about the shapes around them. It also develops their problem-solving skills.

• Search and Show

Game Plot

This game requires 4 or more players and is usually played with an even number of players. The game is played in teams with each team having at least 2 players each. Before the start of the game, a bowl is filled with paper chits, which have different shapes written on them. Each team goes in turns. One player from the team will pick a chit at random. He/She will read the shape written on it without speaking it aloud. Then he or she will describe the properties of the shape to his/her team member. The team members will have to guess the name of the shape. E.g. – If the shape written on the chit is square, then the player can say that the shape has 4 sides and all sides are equal.

 The team which is able to guess the shape in the least amount of time wins the game. This game particularly helps the kids remember the different characteristics of each shape. And also gain confidence in terms of communicating the knowledge gained by them as part of learning geometry.