Symmetry Around Us

This material is suitable for children of all school ages. In the lesson, we will use a magnifying device—a magnifying glass—to examine small objects that are difficult to see with the naked eye.

Advantages of a Magnifying Glass

Why is a magnifying glass convenient? A magnifying glass often comes with a light, as additional illumination is sometimes needed for the task. The optical lens is a transparent glass made using special technologies, differing from traditional glass by its high transparency, uniformity, and colorlessness. It will be explained to the students that the lens is a thick glass, convex on both sides, through which light passes, magnifying small objects.

Central Symmetry

A figure is considered to have central symmetry if, for each point on the figure, there is a corresponding symmetrical point belonging to the same figure. An ordinary spider web has a center of symmetry.

Central symmetry is frequently found in both living and non-living nature. For our work, we will use a toy spider web.

A spider web is an amazing and beautiful creation made by spiders. The spider casts threads between trees and starts weaving them from the center in a spiral. The threads spiral around the center in a logarithmic spiral, forming a wheel-like network.

The base threads can be compared to the spokes of a wheel.

Axial Symmetry

If we mentally draw a line down the middle of a figure, we will see that the left and right parts of the figure are identical, or symmetrical.

We will demonstrate axial symmetry using a Lego spider model. Arachnids have bilateral body symmetry, meaning their bodies can be divided into left and right halves.

A spider also has 8 legs attached to its cephalothorax.

Snowflakes and Their Symmetry

Ordinary snowflakes have both axial and central symmetry.

Snowflakes are frozen water molecules. Most snowflakes exhibit hexagonal symmetry. They are ice crystals. Symmetry is a property of all crystals, and the symmetry of snowflakes is related to the structure of water molecules. While the droplet is still in the air, a hexagonal plate forms first. This is the geometry of the ice crystal. The “hexagon” forms the base, and other particles build upon it.

Through practical work, students can understand (and feel) that mathematics is a part of our everyday life; it is all around us.