Symmetrical Names

If you look closely, you'll see Mrs.May on each section

Sarah

Taylor is written on each section

Connor

After our lesson on symmetry, we began making a symmetrical creation with our names. If you look closely, you'll see our names within the pictures. We folded a square sheet of paper into fourths, then folded that into a triangle. On each triangle, we wrote our names so they reflected the adjacent triangles. While they aren't perfect because they're drawn by hand, they turned out really cool! We had lots of discussions about the reflections as we went along...especially with the letter N. It's a confusing one! Some made their names go towards the middle, while others made theirs go towards the outside. Which ever direction they chose, they turned out great!

Symmetry

4th graders usually have a pretty good grasp on symmetry in shapes, though we do begin with a quick review.

Symmetry Journal Entry

We talk about what symmetry is, and also explore several shapes to find their lines of symmetry.

















We move to finding lines of symmetry within letters. The kids are given a stack of capital letters, and must determine if they have a horizontal line of symmetry, vertical line of symmetry, both horizontal and vertical lines of symmetry, or no line of symmetry. We discuss the way our letters are made, and how if the letter were made differently the line of symmetry could change. For example, the way our B is printed, there is no line of symmetry. If the B had equal "humps" on the top and bottom, there would be a horizontal line of symmetry.

Symmetry of Letters

After this discussion, I challenge the kids to make words using only vertical lines of symmetry, as well as words using only horizontal lines of symmetry. This is quite the challenge! I do allow them to use the letters with no lines of symmetry in their words. Otherwise, horizontal is a tad difficult. ;)

Symmetrical Creations

I gave the children some grid paper and pattern blocks, then told them to draw a line somewhere close to the middle of their paper. This line would be their line of symmetry. They created a design along their line of symmetry by tracing the pattern blocks and coloring them. After they finished, they traded papers with a partner, and their partners finished the drawing by making a mirror image on the other side of the line of symmetry. There was some great discussion, especially in regards to the blue rhombus. The kids had to consider how that shape would look when flipped over.