Hello SAVY families!

Our 2nd class session kicked off with a thoughtful review of a big question from last week: What is the maximum number of lines of symmetry a shape can have? Students shared insightful ideas, and together, we discovered that a circle has an infinite number of lines of symmetry! After reconnecting during our morning meeting and reviewing our schedule, we revisited key concepts from our first session to get our brains warmed up and ready for a day of mathematical exploration.

We dove deeper into symmetry by introducing a new math tool: the mira. This transparent mirror allowed students to experiment with creating symmetrical shapes in a hands-on, visual way. They were amazed at how the mira helped them reflect shapes and discover new patterns. Ask your child what shapes they created, and how they used the mira to make symmetrical designs. It was a highlight of the morning!

Next, we explored polygons. Students learned how to define a polygon and distinguish between examples and nonexamples. Using tangrams, they combined smaller polygon pieces to create larger, original polygon designs. These creations were traced and proudly added to our growing polygon wall. Be sure to ask your child what large polygons they built with their partner and how they decided which shapes to use!

Our learning journey continued with polyominoes—shapes made by joining equal-sized squares. Students built dominoes (2 squares), triominoes (3 squares), and worked their way up to pentominoes (5 squares). Ask your child how many unique pentominoes there are (12) and how many ways there are to solve a pentomino puzzle (2,339)! This led to a great discussion about the problem-solving process and how mathematicians often use trial-and-error to find solutions.

To wrap up the day, we shifted from 2-D to 3-D thinking. Students explored how three-dimensional objects can be represented in two dimensions, like in photographs or blueprints. They were challenged to build block structures based on 2-D drawings, predict how many blocks they’d need, and test their predictions. We ended with mat plans, using numbers and squares to build 3-D models—an exciting and brain-stretching activity! Ask your child what the biggest challenge was for them and what they learned from it.

I’m so proud of their curiosity, collaboration, and perseverance this week. Next week, we’ll wrap up our fall session by learning a few more spatial reasoning concepts and culminating our learning by building a model neighborhood!