Similar shapes worksheet

In a practical mathematics worksheet designed for KS2 students, the focus is on understanding and applying the concept of similar shapes and scale factors. The first activity requires students to use rulers and a set of shapes provided on squared paper. Each child is tasked with selecting a shape and redrawing it at double its original size, starting with simpler shapes for ease of understanding. They are then challenged to increase the complexity by enlarging the original shape by a scale factor of three, with the option to vary both the scale factor and the shape for different levels of difficulty.

The second activity follows a similar pattern but introduces shapes with specific measurements, again utilising rulers as the main tool. Students are asked to double the size of a given shape and then redraw it with a scale factor of three, reinforcing their understanding of enlargement and proportionality. In the third activity, students move on to work with plain paper, where they are instructed to draw a rectangle with dimensions of 4cm by 2cm, and then enlarge it by a scale factor of two. They are encouraged to compare the perimeter, area, and angles of the original and enlarged shapes, leading to observations about the properties of similar shapes. The overarching objective of these activities is to solve problems involving similar shapes by understanding and finding the known or unknown scale factor, enhancing their spatial and proportional reasoning skills.