Butterfly Symmetry
Time: 45 Minutes
Purpose:
The purpose of this lesson is to have the students explore the concept of
symmetry. Through this hands on activity the students will understand what it
means for an object to be symmetrical, and the students should be able to identify
the line of symmetry on an object. This lesson will also allow the students to see
that symmetry can be found in nature.
VA SOLs:
Geometry
Focus: Symmetry and Plane and Solid Figures
2.15
The student will
a) draw a line of symmetry in a figure; and
b) identify and create figures with at least one line of symmetry.
Objectives:
Given a butterfly cutout and paint the students will develop an image that has
symmetry.
Given a worksheet, the students will be able to identify and draw the line of
symmetry in objects with at least 80% accuracy.
Procedure:
Introduction
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Introduce the lesson by asking the students “What is Symmetry?” (Auditory)
Be sure the students understand that symmetry means when a shape or
object has two sides or halves that are the same. The sides are congruent,
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meaning if folded on the line of symmetry they would match each other
perfectly.
Show the students pictures of various objects (see attached). These
pictures can be projected onto the board. (Visual)
Have them identify if there is a line of symmetry. If there is one, draw the
line of symmetry on the picture. {10 Minutes} (Auditory/Visual)
Development
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Tell the students that symmetry can be found out in nature. Shells, leaves,
as well as many other things can have symmetry. Humans are even
symmetrical!
Tell the students that butterflies have symmetry too. One half of a
butterfly is exactly the same as the other.
Let them know that today they will be making pictures of symmetrical
butterflies.
Give each students a butterfly cutout template (see attached).
Give each student a paintbrush.
Give each table group a plate with paint and a cup of water.
Have the students cut out their butterfly and fold it on the dotted line
down the middle (the line of symmetry) to make a crease. (Visual/Kinesthetic)
Tell the students to paint any design they want on half of their butterfly. Be
sure the students know to only paint HALF of the butterfly. {15 Minutes}
(Visual/Kinesthetic)
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After the students finish painting they should fold their butterflies on the
crease that they previously made.
When they open the butterfly back up both halves should look exactly alike.
For Advanced Students:
-After creating their butterfly, these students can draw their own examples of shapes
that have symmetry.
For Struggling Students:
-These students can work with a partner or one-on-one with the teacher.
Summary
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Ask the students “What do you notice about your butterfly now?” (they
should be able to explain how both sides look the same and the butterfly is
symmetrical) (Auditory)
Allow the students to share their butterflies with their classmates. {5
Minutes} (Visual/Auditory)
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Have the children think of other objects in the classroom and nature that
have symmetry, and see what they know. {5 Minutes} (Auditory)
Materials:
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Pictures of various objects (see attached)
Butterfly Cutout template (see attached)
Scissors
Paint
Paint brushes
Cups (for water)
Paper towels
“Does it Have Symmetry” Worksheet (see attached)
Evaluation Part A:
The students will complete the “Does it Have Symmetry” worksheet (see
attached). In part 1 they will identify whether or not the objects pictured have
symmetry. In part 2 they will draw the line of symmetry on the objects pictured.
The students will have met my objective if they can correctly answer at least 80%
of the questions. {10 Minutes} (Visual/Kinesthetic)
Evaluation Part B:
Looking back on this lesson, I feel like it ran fairly smooth. There were some minor
hiccups that would need to be addressed if taught again, but overall it was a very positive
experience. Most of the students met my objective for this lesson. There were a few that scored
below an 80 percent on my assessment worksheet but the majority of the class scored 80 or
above. My practicum teacher suggested that I pull the students aside who did not meet my
objective and explain to them what they missed. I did this and found it was a good thing to do.
These students were able to see their mistakes and fix them. After talking with me, they
understood the concept a lot better. I found that for one of the students it was a matter of rushing
through the worksheet. She knew all of the correct answers and could easily find the lines of
symmetry in the shapes when I made her slow down and show me. Considering the students
were able to correct their mistakes and understand where they went wrong, all of the students
met my objective in the end. If I were teach this lesson again, I would write into the lesson plan
to review the worksheet with any students who do not meet my objective of 80 percent correct.
While making the butterflies, the students and I discovered that when you folded it in half
to make the paint go onto the non-painted side, it did not transfer so well. The paint was almost
dry before the students were ready to fold the butterfly in half. To try and fix this problem I had
the student put the paint on thicker to keep it from drying so fast. This helped a little bit but it did
not transfer an identical image onto the other side. If I were to teach this lesson again, I would
have the students use sponges to apply the paint. Sponges would allow the students to put the
paint on thicker which would help to transfer the design onto the other side, when folded, much
easier.
However, even with the designs not transferring exactly, I feel like the students still really
grasped the concept. They understood that the two sides of the butterfly needed to match up
perfectly for it to be symmetrical. Several of the students, without me instructing them to do so,
started painting on top of the transferred image side of the butterfly to make it match the original
design on the other side identically.
Another reason I know that the students grasped the concept of symmetry is because
before we began painting the butterflies we looked at images of various things and I had the
students identify if it had a line of symmetry. I gave them turns coming up to the board and
drawing the line of symmetry on the image. The students did great with this activity. I feel that
the reason the students were able to grasp the concept of my lesson so easily is because they had
already spent a whole week on symmetry. My practicum teacher told me that my lesson was the
last time the students would review symmetry before taking their test, so they were at the end of
the symmetry unit.
The strength of this lesson was the introduction. The brief review followed by the whole
group practice activity was a great way to begin and engage the students. I feel that another
strength was my directions for making the butterfly. I went step-by-step and made sure all of the
students knew what to do. One weakness in this lesson would be the class management. My
practicum teacher wrote as a “grow” on the Glows and Grows sheet to utilize the behavior chart
during the lesson because it can be super motivating. The students were not by any means
misbehaved during this lesson, but they did get a bit noisy at times. I was moving around the
room helping students and trying to be sure the painting did not get to messy or out of control
and not paying attention to the fact that some students were getting a little rambunctious and off
task. I feel that class management is something that gets easier with time and practice. However,
the behavior chart could have really helped in this situation. Also, a parent volunteer or another
adult would be something to think about for the future. An extra pair of hands could really help
with this lesson.
Overall, I really liked my lesson. I was happy with how it went, and felt that it was a
good, positive experience. I feel that my lesson addressed all types of learners, which contributed
to the students really grasping the concept. There is an activity for each modality in this lesson,
on top of it being fun for the students. My practicum teacher stated on the Glows and Grows
sheet, “My kids LOVED this and could really see symmetry!”. I was happy with the feedback
that I received. This is definitely a lesson I would teach again in the future.
Butterfly Cutout:
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Line of Symmetry
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Name:____________________________ Date:________________
“Does It Have Symmetry?”
PART 1
Directions: Look at each picture below and see if it has symmetry. If it
does have symmetry circle yes, if it does not have symmetry circle no.
1.)
3.)
YES or NO
2.)
4.)
YES or NO
YES or NO
YES or NO
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PART 2
Directions: Draw the line of symmetry on the following pictures.
5.)
7.)
6.)
8.)