Self-portrait. Symmetry

After the last activity drawing the symmetrical animal, 4th graders learnt how symmetrical we are. In order to do this we create symmetrical self-portraits, an activity that uses precise measurement to get beautiful results

First of all, they have to take a picture about theirselves and cut it in half.  

Students glued their half-heads onto a piece of 9 x 12 white construction paper.

Using the ruler, students pick a starting point and measure how far it is from the line of symmetry. Then they measure that exact same distance on the opposite side, marking the spot with a dot.

And these are the results!

Piranha

We made a pattern art project with the students. It was really fun and the effect depends on opening the folded paper.

The students leart about some kinds of patters (lines, zig zags, squares, triangles etc…). Ones they know this variety and the effect of these patterns, we started foldering the paper and drawing our piranha!

While closed, students drew their fish in pencil adding detailed complex patterns in the fish’s body and/or fins.

Then they opened up the paper entirely so you could see the top and bottom parts of the fish with the paper in the middle blank. They then connected their lines from the fishes mouth from the top drawing to the bottom drawing, stretching it out and drawing the mouth wide open.

The students loved this lesson, we laghted a lot!