The purpose of this activity is for students to mathematize their world by looking for shapes in their environment, specifically shapes that are partitioned into halves or fourths. Students may notice other shapes that are partitioned into halves or fourths, or rectangles and circles partitioned into different numbers of pieces. This is exciting for students to notice and can be shared; however, students need to record only the rectangles and circles partitioned into halves and fourths that they find during their hunt. When students model a situation, using a representation such as a drawing of geometric shapes, they model with mathematics (MP4).
This activity suggests walking through the school to notice shapes in different spaces, such as the hallway, cafeteria, library, etc. This activity can also be done outside of the school building or within the classroom.