Growth Point 4

Materials: Pattern/attribute blocks, rulers.

Activity: Students work in pairs. One student creates an image by joining two pattern blocks together on one side of the ruler. The second tries to create the mirror image on the other side. Ask students, what do you notice about the mirror image? Which shapes are closest/farthest from the mirror line? How can we check our solutions?

Related key ideas: Symmetry, orientation, transformation, visualisation.

Variation: Students work in groups of four with rulers placed in a cross formation. Student 1 creates the image, Student 2 reflects it into their quadrant, then Students 3 and 4. What happens to the design when it is reflected four times in different directions?

Materials: Pattern/attribute blocks, rulers

Activity: Students use six pattern blocks to create a shape that is symmetrical. Students then gallery-walk through the classroom with their rulers to try to find the line of symmetry in each other’s creations.

Upon returning to their own blocks, ask them if they can create another symmetrical form using five and then seven blocks. Ask, what is similar/different to the creation and number of blocks? Which was easier to create? Can you predict a pattern between the number of blocks and what strategies you need to use to make the image symmetrical?

Related key ideas: Symmetry, orientation, transformation, visualisation.

Variation: Encourage students to create a pattern which has more than one line of symmetry. What is the same/different compared to creating one with only one line of symmetry?