Go on a Geometry Scavenger Hunt

Here’s a fun way to help your teen make important connections between geometry in school and geometry in real life, and cross over into the arts at the same time. Using cameras, host a friendly contest between family members or friends to see who can find the most examples of geometry in the real world!

• Camera
• Printable list of geometric terms

1. Sit down with the list of geometric terms and make sure that everyone understands each one.  If a term needs clarification, there are many online math dictionaries that can provide definitions and pictures.
2. Take your cameras on an outing.  Each person will look for real-world examples of geometry, and take a picture that captures each term.  For example, a traffic pylon could represent a “cone,” a tall building a “prism,” or a railroad tracks “parallel lines.”
3. When you're finished with your scavenger hunt, download the pictures onto the computer, or develop them at a store.
4. Show your pictures to one another. Each player gets a point for one of his terms when the group agrees that his or her picture clearly demonstrates its meaning.
5. The person who captures the most terms wins!  The prize is up to you.

• Pick a theme for your pictures according to your teen’s interests.  Some examples include geometry in architecture, nature, or sports.
• If you’d rather not use a camera, you can look through magazines and for examples in pictures.  Or, you can give each player a predetermined amount of time to collect pictures from the Internet.  These could be put into a folder, or made into a scavenger hunt slide show.