Are you looking for a sure-fire way to help your middle schooler get excited about 6th grade math worksheets? Why not take them outside? There’s just something special about spending time outside that makes otherwise boring work a bit more enjoyable. But rather than just taking the normal work outside, why not tailor the worksheets or activities to outdoor learning? Here are a few ideas to consider.
Balloon Math
Take the problems on your chosen worksheet and write them on slips of paper. Stick the slips of paper in balloons. Blow up the balloons, and have your child pop the balloons outdoors. Before going for the next balloon, the child has to solve the equation. This gets the large motor skills involved and can make the 6th grade math worksheets more interesting. Be sure to have some scratch paper on hand to help your child work out the problems when needed.
Finding Area and Perimeter
If the worksheet involves finding the perimeter and area of a geometric shape, take the problem outdoors. Use sidewalk chalk to draw the pictures to scale, and have the child measure it and then find the perimeter and area. This is a great way to work with unusual shapes, such as non-standard polygons, because the child can physically measure the shape and get an idea of what the perimeter or area should be.
Exploring Symmetry and Reflection
Symmetry and reflection are important geometry concepts, and they are perfect for exploring the outdoors. Instead of giving your child a worksheet, give him a camera and access to an online editing program. Use this to explore the concepts of reflection and symmetry, first by spending time outside photographing pictures and then by using the editing program to make reflections or show symmetry.
Finding Angles in Nature
If your child’s 6th grade math worksheets involve angles, take them outdoors and have them identify angles in nature. Get creative and snap photographs of the angles so you can bring them inside and measure them using a protractor. Seeing angles in nature, or in architecture, makes math seem more real to kids.
Taking math outdoors turns it into an adventure. Sometimes, though, that adventure has to wait.
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