Symmetrical Bugs

1. Share the story by Lauren Leedy entitled Seeing Symmetry as a read aloud. Show students the illustrations of animals, insects and bugs. Discuss the shapes they see in the illustrations and where else in nature they may find the concept of symmetry.
2. Once the discussion appears complete, inform students that they will be creating a symmetrical figure of their own. Distribute card stock that will be used to make tracers for students. Also distribute Crayola Blunt-Tip Scissors.
3. Ask students to trace or draw a large oval or circle. This will represent the bug’s body. Have students cut out the drawn shapes.
4. Students trace or draw geometric shapes of the body of their selected bug. Students cut these out and place them appropriately on the creature design, keeping the symmetrical design in mind.
5. Students color their shapes using Crayola Construction Paper Crayons, keeping the colors symmetrical.
6. Next, students trace or draw a circle to represent their bug’s head. Then cut it out.
7. Draw and color the eyes and mouth for each of their bugs.
8. Cut a large leaf shape from green construction paper. Demonstrate how you want students to glue the head and body onto the leaf using Crayola Glue Sticks.
9. Use crayons to add legs and antennae.
10. Back student artwork with black construction paper. Allow students, working in small groups, to present their artwork to peers and describe how they have incorporated symmetry into their original bugs.

LA: Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

LA: Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

LA: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.

LA: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

LA: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

MATH: Reason with shapes and their attributes.

SCI: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live.

VA: Relating artistic ideas and work with personal meaning and external context.

Create shapes of their own and cut and paste them into a symmetrical design.

Read Eric Carle’s Grouchy Ladybug. Encourage students to create a ladybug using shapes. Place the ladybug dots in a symmetrical design.