Radical Radials

1. When students are ready for geometry, fractions and some fun, this is the perfect exercise! Begin by reviewing basic geometric shapes and provide students with paper plates to trace beautiful circles on a sheet from a Crayola Paper Pad. Holding 2 sheets of the paper together, have them cut out their circles with Crayola Pointed Tip Scissors.
2. One of these circles will become their fractional template; ask students to fold that circle in half. They can write a large number 2 in one color on one half with any type of Crayola Marker. Have them fold that semi-circle in half again and ,using another color marker, write a number 4 inside one of the quarters. You can have them continue this depending on the level of your students, including thirds, sixths or even eighths.
3. Have students determine which fractional size they like the most, and trace the outline of the number in a very dark color; this will help when they trace the number on their final circle. With the other circle cut out, invite students to fold it according to their choice of favorites. Then lay this circle on top of the number circle making certain that the folds align with the corresponding numbered folds. For example, if a student is using 1/4 folds, they should have outlined the number 4 on their 'number' circle and should now make sure that the quarter fold lines on both circles align.
4. Students trace the number (4 in this example) onto the final (blank) circle using Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils. After they trace the number in one space, have it repeated in the rest of the sections. Their radial design for each section will be based upon this number.
5. Using a variety of Crayola Colored Pencils and Markers, students color in the numbers in the same manner so they each match. Students can determine one design element to add to each section; they must add the same thing in the same place for each section. For example, if they put an orange swirl inside the space of the number 4 in one section, they must do the same on all of the other sections. Provide specialty tools such as Crayola Glitter Markers or Metallic Colored Pencils for great effects.
6. When the students finish, these can be displayed together with other math exercises based on fractions. Or since these radial designs (designs based within a circle) are basic shapes, they can also be incorporated with a geometry unit!

MATH: Develop understanding of fractions as numbers.

MATH: Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering.

MATH: Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers.

MATH: Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system.

VA: Elaborate on an imaginative idea.

VA: Combine ideas to generate an innovative idea for art-making.

VA: Explore and invent art-making techniques and approaches.

Have students research mandalas from different cultures; use this radial design method to create a mandala using one specific cultural icons. Or they can make up their own symbols for their own life!

Springboard from this lesson into other uses of basic geometric shapes, such as an ongoing list of other places that circles are found in the world! Or making a similar design beginning with a triangle or pentagon.