NCERT Class 2 Maths (Joyful Mathematics) · Chapter 4
Shadow Story
Shadows, tracing shapes, flat shapes (circle, rectangle, square, triangle), corners and edges, origami, and patterns.
📌 What you’ll learn in this chapter
- How shadows are formed
- Tracing objects to get flat shapes
- Circle, rectangle, square, and triangle
- Straight edges, curved edges, and corners
- Making and extending patterns
🔦 Let’s Begin: Shadow Animals
At night, Tanu shines a torch on the wall and makes a dog with her hands. Woof! Her brother makes a bird. Shadows form when something blocks light.
☀️ Part 1: Shadows
- We see shadows when there is light and something blocks it.
- In the morning and evening, shadows are long. At noon, they are short.
- With no light (in the dark), the shadow vanishes.
✏️ Part 2: Tracing Shapes
| Trace this | Shape you get | Corners |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle cap, coin | Circle | 0 |
| Eraser, matchbox | Rectangle | 4 |
| Dice | Square | 4 |
| A slice of sandwich cut corner to corner | Triangle | 3 |
💡 Remember
Objects with only curved edges (like a circle) have no corners.
🔁 Part 3: Patterns
A pattern repeats: 🔴🔵🔴🔵… or AB, BC, CD… Find what repeats, then continue it.
✏️ Practice Time
Try these on your own first, then check your answer below each question.
Q1. What shape do you get when you trace a coin?
✅ AnswerCircle
Q2. How many corners does a triangle have?
✅ Answer3
Q3. Continue: 5, 10, 15, __, __
✅ Answer20, 25
📘 NCERT Textbook Activity Help
Hints and answers for the activities in the textbook, page by page. Try each one yourself before looking at the answer!
Pages 32–33 · ShadowsLet us talk
✅ AnswerWe see a shadow when light falls on something and it blocks the light. It vanishes in darkness. Yes, the shadow changes size when the torch moves (closer = bigger). Your shadow is longest in the early morning and evening, and shortest around noon.
Pages 34–37 · Tracing and hide and seekSame trace
✅ AnswerSame trace as a bottle cap (circle): coin, bangle, glass bottom. Same as an eraser (rectangle): matchbox, book, phone.
The circle can hide in the clock, ball, plate, coin, wheel. The rectangle can hide in the shoe box, photo frame, TV, door, book. The triangle can hide in a samosa, a party hat, or a sandwich half. The square can hide in a dice, a chessboard, or a carrom board.
Pages 38–39 · Catch the corner and origamiThe circle can hide in the clock, ball, plate, coin, wheel. The rectangle can hide in the shoe box, photo frame, TV, door, book. The triangle can hide in a samosa, a party hat, or a sandwich half. The square can hide in a dice, a chessboard, or a carrom board.
Corners and edges
✅ AnswerChildren at the corners are the ones standing where two edges of the table meet (check in your book). The child not at a corner is out and claps next. The game can’t be played around a round table, because it has no corners.
Objects with curved edges have no corners. Objects with both straight and curved edges: a D-shaped lock, a half-moon cushion, a drum.
Origami: a square has 4 corners and 4 edges. Folding it in half corner to corner gives a triangle with 3 corners and 3 edges. Folding it straight in half gives a rectangle with 4 corners.
Pages 40–43 · PatternsObjects with curved edges have no corners. Objects with both straight and curved edges: a D-shaped lock, a half-moon cushion, a drum.
Origami: a square has 4 corners and 4 edges. Folding it in half corner to corner gives a triangle with 3 corners and 3 edges. Folding it straight in half gives a rectangle with 4 corners.
Extend the patterns
✅ AnswerG. AB, BC, CD, DE, EF · H. AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, GG
Kikku: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 (jumps of 3) · Mother: 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26 (jumps of 5)
A. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 · B. 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 · C. 1, 7, 13, 19, 25, 31
Kikku: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22 (jumps of 3) · Mother: 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26 (jumps of 5)
A. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 · B. 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 · C. 1, 7, 13, 19, 25, 31
👨👩👧 Tips for Parents
- Make hand shadow animals at night with a torch.
- Trace kitchen objects and name the shapes.
- Make bead or button patterns and ask your child to continue them.