1. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Objectives
Day 1
Understand and create symmetrical patterns.
Day 2
Spot whether a pattern/object is symmetrical.
Before teaching, be aware that:
On Day 1 You will need ribbon, cubes, butterfly picture (see resources), butterfly template (see resources), mirrors, felt-tips, IWB with Charlie and Lola game.
On Day 2 You will need number cards, pictures of butterflies (see resources), IWB, mirrors.
Year 1

2. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Starters
Day 1
Estimating lengths (simmering skills)
Day 2
Bonds to 5 (simmering skills)
Choose starters that suit your class by dragging and dropping the relevant slide or slides below to the start of the teaching for each day.
Year 1

3. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Starter
Estimating lengths
Simmering skills – to use this starter, drag this slide to the start of Day 1
Show the children a length of ribbon. How many cubes long do they think it is? Take estimates and then measure. Cut the ribbon in half. How many cubes long do they think it is now? How did they work this out? Cut another chunk off the ribbon and repeat. Encourage children to use their previous estimation to help them with accuracy.
Year 1

4. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Starter
Bonds to 5
Simmering skills – to use this starter, drag this slide to the start of Day 2
Show children a number card, e.g. 3. Children show the matching pair that makes 5 on their hands, e.g. they hold up 2 fingers. Repeat with other bonds to 10. Choose children to come up and be the teacher by holding up cards.
Year 1

5. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Objectives
Day 1
Understand and create symmetrical patterns.
Year 1

6. What do you notice about the pattern?
Day 1: Understand and create symmetrical patterns.
Highlight that the pattern is the same on both sides (point to the similar features). Explain that butterflies have symmetrical patterns.
What do you notice about the pattern?
Year 1

7. Day 1: Understand and create symmetrical patterns.
To make it symmetrical, we need to draw the exact same patterns on the other half.
Cut out the butterfly template in resources and draw some patterns on one half of it.
Choose children to come up and complete the patterns.
Year 1

8. Day 1: Understand and create symmetrical patterns.
Place a mirror on the centre line of the butterfly and demonstrate how this shows the pattern on the other half.
Today would be a great day to use a problem-solving investigation – Flip and Flop – as the group activity, which you can find in this unit’s IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION box on Hamilton’s website.
Alternatively, children can now go on to do differentiated GROUP ACTIVITIES. You can find Hamilton’s group activities in this unit’s TEACHING AND GROUP ACTIVITIES download.
WT: Paint a pattern on one side of a butterfly and then fold. Open to reveal the symmetrical pattern.
ARE/GD: Predicting the other side of a symmetrical pattern.
Year 1

9. The Practice Sheet on this slide is suitable for most children.
Differentiated PRACTICE WORKSHEETS are available on Hamilton’s website in this unit’s PROCEDURAL FLUENCY box.
WT/ARE/GD: Bug symmetry Sheet 1
Challenge
Year 1

10. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Objectives
Day 2
Spot whether a pattern/object is symmetrical.
Year 1

11. What does symmetry mean? Which butterflies are not symmetrical?
Day 2: Spot whether a pattern/object is symmetrical.
Butterflies
Talk to your partner.
Which butterflies are not symmetrical?
Remind children that symmetry means the pattern is the same on both sides.
Year 1

12. Why aren’t they symmetrical?
Day 2: Spot whether a pattern/object is symmetrical.
Butterflies
Why aren’t they symmetrical?
What is different?
Discuss children’s thoughts and check that the rest of the class agrees before circling the ones that are not symmetrical.
Can they think of any other symmetrical objects?
Year 1

13. What do you have that is the same on both sides?
Day 2: Spot whether a pattern/object is symmetrical.
What do you have that is the same on both sides?
Explain the line of symmetry.
What is the same?
What is different?
Explain that our faces are essentially symmetrical.
Draw the other half of the face (click to reveal).
Ask children if there are sometimes things that stop our faces being symmetrical? E.g. moles, freckles, scars, etc.
Give children mirrors to check if they have a symmetrical face or anything that stops it being completely symmetrical.
Children can now go on to do differentiated GROUP ACTIVITIES. You can find Hamilton’s group activities in this unit’s TEACHING AND GROUP ACTIVITIES download.
WT: Make symmetrical patterns from painted string.
ARE/GD: Sort play dough shapes into symmetrical or not symmetrical.
Year 1

14. Year 1 The Practice Sheet on this slide is suitable for most children.
Differentiated PRACTICE WORKSHEETS are available on Hamilton’s website in this unit’s PROCEDURAL FLUENCY box.
WT/ARE/GD: Lines of symmetry Sheet 1
Year 1

15. Begin to understand symmetry
Shape and Data
Explore shapes
Begin to understand symmetry
Well Done! You’ve completed this unit.
Objectives
Day 1
Understand and create symmetrical patterns.
Day 2
Spot whether a pattern/object is symmetrical.
You can now use the Mastery: Reasoning and Problem-Solving questions to assess children’s success across this unit. Go to the next slide.
Year 1

16. Problem solving and reasoning questions
Draw a symmetrical pattern by colouring squares on squared paper. You may only colour 24 squares in all – NO more!
Draw a line of symmetry on each of these shapes:
Draw a symmetrical shape with two straight lines and one curved line.
Year 1

17. Problem solving and reasoning: Answers
Draw a symmetrical pattern by colouring squares on squared paper. You may only colour 24 squares in all – NO more! Various answers possible – check with a mirror.
Draw a line of symmetry on each of these shapes:
Watch out for children who assume that a line of symmetry must be vertical. Check with a mirror.
Draw a symmetrical shape with two straight lines and one curved line.
One example is shown:
Year 1