Lesson on Symmetry for Primary Grade Students.

Symmetry is all around us, isn't it? It's in the natural world, cities and towns, and the universe beyond Earth's boundaries. In short, it's everywhere. The study of symmetry is a wonderful way to introduce primary grade students to one of the basic aspects of geometry. After teaching this lesson plan to your students, they will be able to recognize how symmetry plays an integral role in our world.

INTRODUCTION: Place symmetrical butterflies on the blackboard. These can be butterflies that are store-bought, or they can be hand-made. Ask the students if they notice anything about the butterflies that they may have in common. The butterflies should have different designs from one another so as to distract from the fact that all of them are symmetrical. If none of the students can come up with an answer, tell them that each butterfly is symmetrical, when both sides of something are exactly the same. Have the students take another look.

PROCEDURES:

Explain to your students that a symmetrical figure can be folded along a dividing line to fit exactly into each other. The line of symmetry divides the figure into two parts that are mirror images of each other. Explain to your students that some figures have more than one line of symmetry, as indicated by the two lines on a figure of a rectangle. The butterfly has only one line of symmetry( these two figures are drawn on the board).

Present the class with two other problems, drawing both a fat arrow and an oval on the board. For the fat arrow, students should determine if lines of symmetry can be drawn. Students should have a chance to come up to the board to see if they can figure out where this line, or lines, would be. Help students out by asking them if this fat arrow was made out of paper, and you could fold it, how would you fold it so that it would fold evenly.

When you are finished with the fat arrow, do the same instruction for the oval figure on the board.

SUMMARY: Have students form into groups, and for each group give students a box of paper shapes. Students are to try to find if any of these shapes have lines of symmetry in them, while they discuss their findings with the other students in their group. At the end of this period, you should go over the students findings with them.

FOLLOW UP: For homework, students should be given a worksheet of shapes where they have to figure out where lines of symmetry could be drawn in them.