Using Symmetry to Create A Community Quilt

Beverly Brown                  Hedges West
                               4951 South Seeley Street
                               Chicago IL 60609
                               (312) 535-7360

Objectives:

This mini-teach is designed for 4th grade through 12th grade with appropriate 
modification for the upper grades.  Students will learn about line symmetry and 
reflectional symmetry.  Students will also utilize this knowledge by working 
cooperatively to make a community quilt.  Students will make a quilt with four 
lines of symmetry.

Materials Needed:

Give one set to each group 

1.  Quilt patch (3 x 3 - nine 2" squares plus a one-half inch border)
    Activity Sheet 22
2.  Hole puncher
3.  Yarn
4.  Crayons
5.  Scissors
6.  Quilt-Pattern Shapes (Activity Sheet 25)
    (This sheet includes several different size of triangles, squares, 
    rectangles, and other shapes that students can cut out and trace 
    onto their quilt patch)

Strategy:

Symmetry can be seen all around you.  Symmetry exists when an object or figure 
can be divided along a line (line of symmetry) and each resulting image (on each 
side of the line of symmetry) coincides or is reflective. 
 

     1.  Give each student a sheet of paper.  Student should fold paper in half 
         and cut out a valentine.  Open the valentine and draw a line on the 
         fold.  This is your line of symmetry. 

     2.  Use different figures to practice vertical, horizontal, and diagonal 
         symmetry. 

     3.  The quilt your class will make will have 16 patches.  Each patch is 
         composed of 9 squares (3 by 3 square).  The entire quilt will have four 
         lines of symmetry.  (You may decide to have one or two lines of 
         symmetry depending on your class.) 

     4.  Students will work in groups to color the patches.  When each group has 
         finished, holes should be punched on each side of the quilt patch.  
         Yarn should be used to weave in and out of the holes to connect the 
         patches in a 4 by 4 design. 


     5.  Use strips of crepe paper to create a ruffle around your quilt.  Pleat 
         the paper and glue or staple it around the border.                

Performance Assessment:

     The expected results is that the quilt will be symmetrical according to 
your directions.  For younger students, you may want them to have one or two 
lines of symmetry.  Students should be able to show the line(s) of symmetry and 
explain why their patch is symmetrical. 


Reference:
                           
Everyday Mathematics Journal II, Everyday Learning Corporation, 1995, Activity 
Sheet 22 and Activity Sheet 25.


This is a rough sample for the 16 patch quilt.  Remember that each quilt patch 
has 9 squares. 
 
               ------------------------------------
               |       |        |        |        |
               |   1   |    2   |   3    |   4    |
               |_______|________|________|________|
               |       |        |        |        |
               |   5   |    6   |   7    |   8    |
               |_______|________|________|________|
               |       |        |        |        |
               |   9   |   10   |  11    |  12    |
               |_______|________|________|________|
               |       |        |        |        |
               |  13   |   14   |  15    |  16    |
               |_______|________|________|________|


In order for this quilt to be symmetric about a vertical axis, the following 
quilt pairs must be reflective: (1,4), (5,8), (9,12), (13,16), (2,3), (6,7), 
(10,11), (14,15) 

In order for this quilt to be symmetric about a horizontal axis the following 
quilt pairs must be reflective: (1,13), (2,14), (3,15), (4,16), (5,9), (6,10), 
(7,11), (8,12) 

In order for this quilt to have 4 lines of symmetry, the following quilt sets 
must be reflective:  (1,4,13,16), (2,3,5,8,9,12,14,15), (6,7,10,11).