C omputer Capers
May 2005
www.buddyproject.org
Shapes and Symmetry
Here is a swift and snappy way to
practice drawing shapes and
finding the line or lines of symmetry. Use a drawing or painting
program and fill the page will
all different kinds of shapes. Have fun using the
tools to fill them in with different patterns and
colors; make the borders different thicknesses and
colors. Lastly, use the line tool to draw the lines of
symmetry for each shape on your page.
Challenge: Now that you’ve had practice with
shapes and symmetry, see if you can draw a
beautiful butterfly that is symmetrical. Begin by
using shapes and drawing tools to decorate the left
half of the page. Now, draw the outline of a
wing around the shapes. Group all the objects
together, copy and paste it and drag it on the
right side of the page. Lastly, "flip" the right
side objects vertically and you should have a
symmetrical butterfly!
Indiana Mathematics Standards: 3.4.8 Identify
and draw lines of symmetry in geometric shapes
(by hand or using technology).
Memorial Day Message
For this Memorial Day, take a moment to
remember servicemen who have served and who
are now serving our country. At the following
website you can draft a friendly letter of support
and thanks for all they are doing for our great
nation.
www.forgottensoldiers.org/write-soldier.shtml
Why do you appreciate them? How can you
encourage and inspire them? Does your letter have
a salutation, body (message), closing? Once you
have proofread and revised your letter where
necessary, click the submit button and your letter
will be printed out and enclosed in a package used
to brighten the day of one of our valuable troops.
Indiana English Language Arts Standards
2.4.5 Use a computer to draft, revise, and publish
writing. 2.4.6 Review, evaluate, and revise writing
for meaning and clarity.
2.5.3 Write a friendly letter complete with the date,
salutation (greeting, such as Dear Mr. Smith), body,
closing, and signature.
Splash of a Spreadsheet
Do you ever dream of having your own backyard swimming pool built just before summer
begins? With this activity you can design your own pool using a spreadsheet and a little
imagination. Begin in your spreadsheet by highlighting columns E-Z. Drag your mouse to the
left to create narrow square cells. What you just made is your own square foot "worksheet"
that you can use to make your pool design. Do you
want your pool to be shaped like an animal, a letter,
a symbol, or just your own unique design? Create
your pool by highlighting the cells that you want to be
part of your pool and then format the cells to fill them
with a blue color. Continue highlighting and filling in
areas of your pool until you get it to look just like you
want. Remember... be creative in your design! Cost is
no object here. What about an area for each member of
the family? an area for a slide? Once your design is
complete, figure out what the surface area is and
what the volume would be if the whole pool was 8 feet deep. To find the
surface area break up your pool into rectangles and place a lined border
around each of those spaces. Find each area and then add all of them
together. Use columns A-D as your workspace. Lastly, use a formula to
figure out the volume (total area multiplied by 8ft.)
Indiana Mathematics Standard 5.5.4 Find the surface area and volume of rectangular solids using
appropriate units.