Symmetry Webquest - Create Your Own

Dear Educators of the World,

In my experience of using this website with my classes I find outcomes are achieved more effectively when the children have a focus. I tend to let them explore the site first and then give them a series of questions and tasks to complete.

So here are some questions and tasks that you might like to include in a 'Learning Quest', 'Webquest' or 'Scavenger Hunt' based on this website. Feel free to copy and paste whatever you need into a word processing document and create a guide that will cater for the needs of your students.

NB There are Bloom's Taxonomy, de Bono's Thinking Hats and TABA activities and tasks towards the bottom of this page.

Once you've experienced the site, make sure you take a walk into the real world and look for examples of symmetry. You may be surprised by just how much symmetry your students find with their newly trained eyes.

Best of Luck with it.

Adrian

Page 4 - Symmetry in the Animal Kingdom

- Sketch your favourite animal from this page and draw in its line of symmetry.

- What are the criteria for living thing to be an animal?
- Is a fish an animal? Why?

Page 5 - Symmetry of Masks

- Using only isosceles triangles design/draw a mask that has one line of symmetry from forehead to chin.

- Which of these masks would you most liked to make? Why?

Page 6 - The Proportions of Man

- Given that this drawing by Leonardo da Vinci is a great work of art, comment on the appropriateness of  this image for demonstrating symmetry in the human form to your age group.
       
- List 4 other parts of the body that have reflective symmetry that are not mentioned on this page.

Page 7 - Reflections in Water

- Do you consider this image to have a line of symmetry? Why or why not?
- Is the line of symmetry along the horizontal or vertical axis?

Page 9 - Symmetry and Regular 2D Shapes

- How could you prove that a square really does have 4 lines of symmetry and not 2.
- A rectangle has 4 lines of symmetry. True or False? How could you prove it?
- What pattern can you see emerging on this page?

Page 10 - Rotational Symmetry

- How would you define the term 'rotational symmetry'?
- Find a playing deck and look at the picture cards.Which ones have rotational symmetry?

Page 11 - Challenge One

- Have a go at the challenge on this page.

Page 12 - Challenge Two

- Place your mouse pointer on each of the challenge solutions to see what we think.
- List each objects order of  rotation?

Page 13 - The Symmetry of Hubcaps

- Do you agree with our answers on each of the hubcaps?
- Where else in a car would you find objects with rotational symmetry?

Page 14 - The Symmetry of Kaleidoscopes

- If you have a kaleidoscope at home, bring it in for your class to view intricate
patterns with rotational symmetry.

Page 15 - Flips, Slides and Turns

- Invent a board game that would help a child between the ages of 6 and 9 to
learn about flips, slides and  turns.

Page 16 - The Symmetry of Letters

- What would be the purpose of exploring each of the letters of the alphabet for their
symmetrical properties?

Page 17 - The Symmetry of Advertising

- Using either newpapers or magazines find some advertising logos that have line symmetry and rotational symmetry.
- Make a class book or wall display of the examples you find.
- Do any on the TV stations in your country use symmetry in their logos?  

The Ink Blots Page

- What can you see in each of our ink blots? (Please, no butterflies).
- How many lines of symmetry can you see in each ink blot?
- Challenge - Try to make an ink blot with more than 2 lines of symmetry. Is it possible?

The Plug Page

- Write down your hypothesis as to why plug holes are round and not square?
- Organise an email to an expert to ask them why plug holes are round and not square.

The Rugs Page

- Find a rug in your school and sketch the symmetrical patterns.
- Design your own colourful rug that uses symmetrical patterns.
- Use a piece of computer software to design your rug.

The Biological Hazard Symbol

- This symbol is used in hospitals a lot. Where in the hospital and why?

The Say Gidday Page

- What does the Mark Twain quote mean to you?
- Why might the creators of this page have had to put it there.
- The teacher who made this page now lives in Byron Bay Australia. Where is Australia?
- Send a message of thanks to Australia using this page.

Stained Glass Page

- Sketch a piece of stained glass from your community.
- Why might people include symmetry in windows of this kind?

The Symmetry Challenge Game

- Many argue that this game wastes class time as the children spend way too long on it. Others feel that it is good to interact with the site and that way you learn more about symmetry by doing something. What is your opinion? Should it stay or should it go? Why?
- Your task is to make this game more challenging by writing up some rules.

Dot Paper Challenge

- Create an artwork that is both complex and beautiful using the method outlined on this page.
- Limit yourself to 2, 3 or 4 colours if you wish.

Face Challenge

- Take a digital photo of one of your friends. MAKE SURE you are directly face on. Print out the picture, cut it in half vertically and then complete the activity the way this page shows you.

'Some faces are more symmetrical than others.' Is this True?

- Why are the faces so different?
- Try this task in a piece of photo manipulation software.Paint.NET is really good and free. :)  

Bloom's Taxonomy Questions

Knowledge

- After viewing and interacting with this site I now know that symmetry is...
- In your own words, what is line symmetry?
- In your own words, what is rotational symmetry?
- Sketch an object from the natural world and draw in its line of symmetry.
- Write down 5 facts about symmetry that you have learnt by viewing this site.
- What is the best example of line symmetry on this site?

Comprehension

- List 5 examples of line symmetry found in your classroom or lounge room.
- What is the difference between line symmetry and rotational symmetry.
- Write a brief summary of this website for your school newsletter.

Application

- Construct a model by folding paper that will demonstrate an aspect of symmetry.
- Create a storybook for a younger grade to explain line symmetry.
- Create a jigsaw puzzle that uses a symmetrical pattern. Make sure the pieces have rotational symmetry of order 2 or 4.
- Design a badge for your class that has both line symmetry and rotational symmetry.

Analysis

- Design a quick quiz to see if your classmates have fully understood the concepts presented on this website.
- Compare this website to a page in an old maths text book. Which is the most effective way of teaching? Why?

Synthesis

- Design and make a game that will reinforce the symmetry concepts outlined on this site.
- Create a comic strip where all the symmetrical objects from your school have disappeared. What are the implications? What might be funny? What might be serious?
- Made up a new code for the alphabet using only symmetrical characters. Send positive messages to your friends.
- Create new and unusual uses for a (symmetrical object).
- How would you check that your friends have gained the knowledge required by your country's/state's math syllabus?

Evaluation

- Create a list of criteria to judge a website. Apply this list to this website. Indicate priority and ratings.
- Do you feel this website is effective or ineffective? Why?
- Write a letter to the website creators advising them of examples of symmetry that they may have overlooked
and you think are important.
- Do you think the study of symmetry is relevant or irrelevant in a modern education? Why or why not?
- An authority figure in your school community doesn't believe this website is a good way to learn but you do. Defend your position.

 General Questions

- How are line symmetry and rotational symmetry alike and different?

- What do you think was the main purpose of our class putting together this site?

- What do you think are the benefits for a class of learning about symmetry by making web pages?

- What changes do you feel need to be made to this symmetry site?

- Who would you recommend this site to?

- Go into the playground and find a natural object that has symmetry then sketch it.

- Write a question about this site that will take your friends about 10 minutes to answer.

- Write a question about this site that will take your friends about 10 seconds to answer.

Reflection Questions

- Write down one question you still have regarding symmetry after viewing this site.

- Why do you think you need to learn about symmetry?

- Each child writes an anonymous question to be answered next lesson.

de BoNo's HaTs

- List ten facts that you either found interesting or didn't know before you visited our Symmetry Webpage.
- These pages were created by Yr 6 students in Australia. How does this make you feel?
- What do you think are the positives of learning about symmetry using this Internet site?
- What do you think our class gained by working on this multimedia presentation?
- List 5 good points about this learning resource.
- What do you feel have been the benefits to you of using this page?
- What critical comments can you make as a result of viewing our site?
- You might like to consider: layout, knowledge, appropriateness to age group, too structured, too many........, problem solving .......

Taba Questions

- One this website the authors have focused on the natural and built world.
What else could they have focused on?
- How sucessful was this site in teaching your class about symmetry? How can you find out?
- What is a completely different way to use this website?
- If you had to invent a new word for symmetry, what would it be? Why?
- What do you mean when you say 'symmetry'?
- What do you mean when you say 'rotational symmetry'?
- Maths teachers love this website because... Give 3 examples.
- What 5 pages would you group together on a wall display in your room because they are alike?
- Why do you think the teacher who made this site did all this work?
- What was your reaction to the page that has the flipped faces joined together? What are your thoughts? How do the photos make you feel?