Are you looking for a new cool Valentine’s Day math craft for school?

Do you wish your child had the most mathy Valentine’s Day cards?

For me, both are a yes!

I created this Valentine card a few years ago based on the Geometric Heart. It turned out to be just perfect to send to school.

It’s not as fancy as some other kirigami hearts. But the other ones aren’t as good for a class lesson on shapes.

You can use it for your child’s Valentine’s Day celebration. Or use the instructions in class to make geometric hearts with your students.

Either way, your Valentine’s Day is sure to be geometric!

Supplies

• Template (download it FREE here!)
• Construction paper in red or pink (or another prefered “heart” color)
• Scissors
• Glue or glue stick
• Pen or marker (optional to sign name or write to/from)

Instructions

Print the template onto postcard paper and tear into fourths.

Follow the instructions on the cards to make hearts out of construction paper. Make enough to paste one on the back of each card. Or make many different sizes and colors and paste a variety on the backs.

Write some nice words in the hearts or leave them blank.

Discussion questions

These questions are focused on shapes so they work for the little guys. But you can use the extended questions for students of all ages. (printer friendly questions here)

1. What shape did you start with?
   1. Would we have gotten the same result if we started with a different shape?
   2. What shapes would work and what shapes wouldn’t?
2. When we folded it, we made it 1/2 the size. What fraction would we have had if we folded it again?
   1. If we folded it twice, we have a new square. How does the length of a side of the new square compare with the length of a side of the original square?
   2. Still thinking about the square from part a., how does the area of the new square compare with the area of the original square?
   3. If you folded the square twice again, how does it compare with the side length and area of the original square?
3. We made three cuts. How many scraps of trash paper did we end up with?
   1. If the paper was doubled and we made three cuts, shouldn’t we have ended up with 6 scraps? Why did we only have 5?
4. Our first cut was a triangle. What shape is it when you open it up?
   1. What’s the area of the cut shape as compared with the opened up shape?
   2. What’s the perimeter of the cut shape as compared with the opened up shape?
   3. What’s the type of the cut shape as compared with the opened up shape?
5. Would you have made the same shape if you did steps 3-5 in a different order?
   1. Could you have gotten a heart if you changed one or more of the triangle cuts to a different shaped cut?

Now, GO!

Don’t let the kids have all the fun – you enjoy it too. Send them to your fellow teachers and friends. And don’t forget to share on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Enjoy!

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