Math and science
Shape Detective
Count the circles, triangles and rectangles hiding in a robot, then build your own character from shapes.
Thinking sheet · Math and science
Fingerprint Detective
Press your fingerprints into the boxes, find loops, whorls and arches, and compare with a partner.
- Grades
- 1–5
- Time
- about 25 minutes
- Topic
- Math and science
- Kids practice
- observation, classifying patterns, forensic science
What kids do
“Rub a pencil on scrap paper, press your finger in it, then press it in the box!”
- My fingerprints
- The three types (draw what yours look like next to each)
- My most common type was… My partner’s was…
How to run it
- Rub a soft pencil on scrap paper and press a fingertip in it, then onto clear tape stuck in the box.
- A magnifying glass helps.
- Loops look like waves, whorls like spirals, arches like hills.
Talk about it
- Are any two fingerprints the same?
- Why do police use fingerprints?
- Do your thumbs match?
Take it further
Turn a fingerprint into a tiny creature.
Pairs well with
Free for home and classroom use. Print as many copies as you need.
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