We are starting a new mini-theme in math class this morning,
in honor of our overall theme of “reflection”. Reflection can mean many things
– mostly, we use these last remaining weeks of school to reflect and revisit
some of the things we learned about this year. But reflection is also both a scientific
and mathematical term. In math, when we talk about symmetry, we are also
talking about reflection.
Symmetry seems like a small part of geometry, and yet it is
also very important in connecting math to the real world. Symmetry is expressed
in many pieces of art, for example.
Why teach symmetry? The following points came from an
article Picture This: Second Graders
“See” Symmetry and Reflection:
· * Children have an innate sense of symmetry, in
that they look for balance and order in the real world. Teacher should build on
this inner ability, as it is appealing and students can relate to it.
· -* Learning about symmetry aids students in
learning how to order and classify, skills that are used in many daily tasks.
* It encourages children to have curiosity about
the world around them, as symmetry is found in the organic world, not just
geometric shapes
·
* Children learn how to focus on the parts of an
object, as well as the characteristics
·
* Teaching symmetry gives students a different
perspective of the world around them
Today I took a photograph of each student’s face. Then, I
printed the pictures out, and cut them down the middle. Tomorrow, we will have a lot of
fun drawing the other side of our faces so that they are symmetrical. I hope to post some examples, so stay tuned!
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