Symmetry All Around

Allen McGuire

A. Overall Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 6th Subject: Math Student Profile: This lesson will be used in a class of twelve 6th graders. There are no special needs students or necessary modifications that need to be considered. Objectives: Students will operate a digital camera to photograph items from their daily life. Students will display knowledge of symmetry by capturing symmetry in objects that are in their homes. Standards: M6G1. Students will further develop their understanding of plane figures. a. Determine and use lines of symmetry. Assessment: Pretest, Postest, and Poster assignment Technology Connection: Students are learning about symmetry and using digital cameras to display their knowledge. Materials: 6 Kodak Easyshare DX7630 cameras, Promethean board, projector, computer, photo printer, poster board, glue, crayons, markers, glitter, construction paper, and scissors URLs: http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/rotation.html This site will help with understanding rotations http://www.haelmedia.com/OnlineActivities_txh/mc_txh4_001.html This site will let you check your understanding of symmetry http://www.mathsnet.net/cruncher/symmetry.swf This site is great for practicing the concepts of symmetry Procedures and Management: Students will take notes during PowerPoint and participate in learning by answering questions. During the photo hunt, students will be in pairs. For every two pairs, either the teacher or parent volunteer will escort students and supervise photography. Students will take pictures only on school grounds, and they will not disrupt any other learning environments knowingly. Students will work in pairs to create their display of photos using given materials. Students will be graded by a rubric and they will grade each other using the same rubric.

B. Instructional Materials
Symmetry PowerPoint-This PowerPoint defines lines of symmetry and gives examples of figures with various symmetry lines. At the end of the PowerPoint there are several shapes that well use for class discussion on symmetry. Camera PowerPoint- This PowerPoint goes through the basic functions of the camera. It shows students how to turn on/off the camera, choose a mode, take a picture, and review a picture. Also, it gives basic tips for taking pictures. Assignment Guidelines and Rubric (see below in part D):

C. Bibliography
Print Resources
Day, Roger (2009). Math connections: Grade 6. New York: McGraw-Hill. Richards, Thomas (2007). Math, grade 6. Columbus, Ohio: Frank Schaffer Publications. Tuttle, Wes (1999). Daily math practice, grades 6. Montery, California: Evan-Moor.

URLs
http://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/rotation.html http://www.haelmedia.com/OnlineActivities_txh/mc_txh4_001.html http://www.mathsnet.net/cruncher/symmetry.swf

D. Rubric
Assignment Guidelines and Rubric Names _____________________ _____________________ For this assignment, you will be escorted throughout the school, and your job will be to find items that exhibit one of the following types of symmetry: horizontal, vertical, or rotational. You will need to take 8-10 pictures that show symmetry. Once youve finished, I will print the pictures for you. You will use the pictures to create a poster board presentation on symmetry with

your partner. Each picture needs a title, and a description of what kind or kinds of symmetry that it has. Use the tips for photographing objects to get the best shots possible. You will be graded using the rubric below: Needs Improvemen t Photo Quality
Photos are from a variety of angles, perspectives, and/or use different modes when necessary. Photos are in focus and are appealing to the eye. All photos should include a title.
up to 10 points

Youre getting there

up to 20 points

Excellent Job!
up to 30 points

Correct use of Symmetry

Objects display some type of symmetry. There may be multiple symmetries in one object, but all need to be labeled accordingly. All labels must be correct.

up to 10 points

up to 20 points

up to 30 points

Number of Photos
Your poster must include 8-10 photos that exhibit symmetry

up to 7 points

up to 14 points

up to 21 points**

Overall Poster Design

Poster is organized and appealing to the eye. Symmetry labels are placed appropriately with each photo. There is good use of color and thoughtful design.

up to 7 points

up to 14 points

up to 21 points**

Total _____/ _100_

**Note: Bonus points will be awarded for exceptional photos and design elements

E. and F. - Pretest and Postest

The same test will be given at the beginning and end of the project.

Symmetry Pretest/Postest
True/ False ______ 1. A symmetry line may be defined as a line that divides an object into unequal parts. ______ 2. Most regular polygons have some type of symmetry. ______ 3. A figure has rotational symmetry if it can be turned only 180 degrees, and it still looks the same. ______ 4. Circles have no symmetry. ______ 5. A heart has horizontal symmetry. ______ 6. Vertical symmetry goes in the up and down direction. ______ 7. The following object has horizontal, vertical, and rotational symmetry.

______ 8. The following figure has horizontal symmetry.

______ 9. An object can have only one type of symmetry. ______ 10. Rotational symmetry occurs after one full turn of the object. ______ 11. Using different camera modes can help enhance the overall look of pictures. ______ 12. There is a scene mode that is good for taking portraits. ______ 13. Auto should be avoided at all times. ______ 14. Getting eye level with an object is a good way to take a picture. ______ 15. Using different angles to photograph is a great way to improve a picture.

G. Data from pre/post tests

The average score on the pretest was 47.9, and the average score on the posttest was 88.7. The median score prior to the lesson was 44, and the median score afterwards was 85. Overall, I feel that the lesson was successful at helping students increase their understanding of both photography and the math standards.

H. Effect of LP on Student Learning

My students really enjoyed this lesson. They loved getting out of the classroom and doing a project that was more interactive. Not only did they get excited from the very beginning, but they also stayed engaged throughout the learning process. They were really excited about using cameras and being able to look for items with symmetry. They were very excited about sharing what they made I let them present their pictures to their classmates. Almost all of their posters were free from errors, and I was genuinely impressed with the different kinds of symmetry that they found. The results from the pretests and the posttests show a major difference in what they knew prior to the lesson and what they knew after the lesson. The students reacted really well to being able to work in pairs to complete this assignment, and they asked to do more lessons that included the cameras. The rubric was very useful to students as it helped them to see exactly what they were required to do, and it made it easy to gauge their learning.

I. LP Outcomes and Possible Changes

I feel that the lesson went really well. My students were excited and engaged. The assessments measured learning in the areas of symmetry and very basic camera operations. I really enjoyed seeing the students take the lesson and learn through hands on approach. They worked hard to find different objects. Their posters overall were very nice to look at and were educational. Students in my other bigger classes were jealous that they didnt get to play with the cameras yet. Also, having parent volunteers was really nice as it helped foster a sense of community, and it helped them see what a day in the life of a student can be like. I liked having the rubric handy for grading. It made grading much less subjective and more clear-cut. If I am able to do this again, I will spend a little more time with the camera functions and try to teach the students more about the camera. Also, if I were doing a more difficult concept, I would have to build in lots of practice before the photography event. The symmetry concept was one that lended itself well to being taught simultaneously with basic camera functions. It did not seem to be an overwhelming amount of information, but it would have been if the math content had been any more difficult. Next time, I will build a presentation component into the rubric because the students were so excited about their posters that they wanted to present them their classmates. Overall, I think this was a successful lesson and I would repeat most of the things that I did.