Student Worksheet

Searching For Shapes And Patterns - Activity Instructions

Kids will use their observation skills in a structured way to explore a space outside. Kids will take a walk outside and look for shapes, patterns and textures that can be found in nature, and will keep a record of their observations.

Safety advice: Ensure kids understand the risks associated with touching objects that are outside, such as prickly or poisonous plants.

Part A: Shapes And Patterns

Step 1.

In this activity you will be going outside to look for patterns and shapes. This could be done by investigating what you already have in your yard or by going for a walk around the neighbourhood.

Before you do this, though, you need to take a moment to think about the difference between shapes and patterns.

A shape is the outline of a form, like a square, circle or triangle
A pattern is a repeated arrangement of numbers, colours or shapes

Take a look at these pictures:

You will probably find that many patterns are made up of shapes, so when looking at patterns make sure to pay attention to the shapes too!

Part B: Heading Outside

Step 1.

Before heading outside it can be useful to set some outdoor learning guidelines:

Listen to warnings about slippery surfaces, prickly plants or biting insects.
Have a clear timeframe for completing your task.
Before starting, take a moment to allow your bodies to adjust to an outdoor setting. Consider spending one or two minutes just listening to the sounds outside and observing any nature, including the wind and sunshine.

Step 2.

Take a camera or notepad and pencil on your walk to record the shapes and patterns that you see.

Take your time on your walk and remember to stop, observe, touch and feel objects along the way, remembering that some plants are prickly or even poisonous.

What kinds of shapes, patterns and textures can you find? Look for both natural and human-made objects:

Natural objects: leaves, shadows, clouds, flowers, seedpods, tree branches and pebbles on the ground.
Human made: fences, walls, paths, buildings, play and sports equipment.

You could also spend some time testing how things feel. Do they feel soft, smooth, rough, lumpy, prickly, hard, warm, cold, etc.?

Keep a record of what you find by taking photos, drawing or taking notes. Older kids could also record where they observed these objects (e.g. outside 22 Bumpy Street).

Step 3.

Back inside, spend some time discussing what you observed. Try to identify the types of shapes and patterns that you saw, such as square, circle, zig-zag or stripes.

Using a piece of paper and pencil, you could also try to replicate some of the patterns and shapes that you found, and label them when you can.

Reflection

Take some time to think about what you observed and answer the following questions:

Which was your favourite pattern or shape?
Did you find more patterns or more shapes? Why do you think this is?
What other things did you observe during your time outside that you found interesting?

Taking It Further

Conduct a similar activity inside, looking for shapes and patterns in your house. Compare these to the ones you observed outside - how are they similar and different?

Searching For Shapes And Patterns (home learning)

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