EDCI 301: In-Class Lesson

Name: Victoria Bellmay

Lesson Title: Balance and Patterns in Art, Nature, and Math
Grade(s): 3-4
Time of Lesson: Two 45-minute sessions; total of 1 hour and 30 minutes
Lesson Summary (Provide an overview of each major segment of the activity and including a description of products)
This lesson focuses on the integration of art with the core subjects of math and science. Students will first learn about
the mathematics found through patterns in nature. The math emphasis in this lesson will be placed on teaching the
students about symmetry, including both linear and radial symmetry. Following this portion, the lesson will
incorporate science by educating the students about the habitats and lifestyles of sea anemones through the use of a
classroom discussion. Once the students have learned about symmetry and sea anemones, art will be integrated into
the lesson by allowing each student to create their own sea anemone by gluing three-dimensional strips of paper to a
construction paper circle in a radial symmetry pattern. This represents the variety of sea anemone tentacles that exist
in nature. The lesson will conclude with a class reflection/discussion on what new knowledge the students acquired
after completing their projects. Students will complete a reflective journal entry at home to hand in the next day
focusing on the relationship between math, nature, and art through balance and pattern.
Essential Question (Provide an open-ended central inquiry to be explored in this lesson)
How can we replicate and further understand math patterns found in nature through art?

Learning Objectives
(Aim for 2-3 focused
objectives)
Students will understand and demonstrate a basic understanding of two
Principles of Design: 1) Pattern/Repetition and 2) Balance, focusing on radial
symmetry
Students will learn about the relationship between symmetry, math, and patterns
Students will discover new ways to fold and cut paper in order to create three-
dimensional pieces of artwork
Students will learn about sea anemone habitats and lifestyles through a
discussion facilitated by the teacher

Materials/Resources
(Organize with headings ex: Instructional, Supplies,
Technology)
*Attach additional resources such as powerpoint
presentations, weblinks, images, handouts, music etc.
Vocabulary
(Bold or underline terms and include student-friendly
definitions)
Supplies (per sea anemone. The number being made
depends on whether or not this is being completed
individually or in groups. If working individually, provide
enough materials for 25 sea anemones. If in groups,
provide enough materials for 8-9 sea anemones.)
Twenty-four 1/2 x 6 strips. There should be
multiple colors available to use; aim for at least 4
different colors
White construction paper circle 4 in diameter
with two lines drawn perpendicularly
intersecting the circle through the midpoint
Balance a principle of design where the different parts of
a shape or piece of art are equal to one another
Symmetry one type of balance, a principle of design, in
which an object looks exactly the same on either side of a
middle point and includes both linear and radial symmetry
Linear Symmetry one type of balance, a principle of
design, in which an object looks exactly the same on both
sides when it is folded in half
Radial Symmetry one type of balance, a principle of
design, in which an object looks exactly the same all the
way around a middle point
6 x 6 square of construction paper in any color
but preferably some shade of blue
Liquid glue
Scissors
Pencil
Handouts
Written instructions for how to create the
different types of three-dimensional folded
paper strips with pictures (attached at the
bottom). One should be given to each student.
Technology
PowerPoint presentation that includes the
following: 1) an introduction to patterns and
balance in art, 2) patterns and balance in nature,
3) math terminology about symmetry, 4) sea
anemone as an example of symmetry and 5) sea
anemone habitat and lifestyle

Pattern/Repetition a principle of design in which a group
of shapes are put next to each other and create the same
design over and over again
Three-Dimensional also known as 3D, is the property
that makes an object have length, width, and height instead
of being flat
Sculpture a three-dimensional figure that is created using
a form of art supplies, such as a clay statue or a handmade
wire basket
Sea Anemone a squishy, unmoving animal found in the
ocean that has many rings of tentacles on the top of its
body
Habitat the home, community, and natural area that a
human or animal lives in
Pleating a form of paper folding in which opposite sides
are folded in order to create a zigzag structure
Box Folding - a form of paper folding in which two strips of
paper and folded over each other to create a square
shaped structure that is weaved together
Fringe a form of paper folding that has box folding on one
half and small cuts made onto each strip of the other half
Curling Paper a form of paper folding that involves
wrapping a strip of paper around a pencil or other round
object
Creating a Tab a form of paper folding by making two
cuts into the bottom of a three-dimensional structure,
which allows for it to be glued onto a base

Optional: Lesson Variations


The white construction paper circles can be glued onto the 6 x 6 square of construction paper prior to class
in order to save time.
The different variations of three-dimensional paper strips can be made ahead of time. This would save a lot of
instructional time, but the students would not be able to have the freedom to create the strips however they
would like to.
Students can work either individually or in small groups to complete this project.
If this project is completed in a small group setting, each student in the group should have an equal
opportunity to create three-dimensional paper strips, decide where to place them on the white paper base,
and to secure it to the paper with glue.
The 6 x 6 square of construction paper is not necessary. This is a great option for the students if they would
like to take their projects home at the end of the day. Another way to do this is to mount the circles on a
large, blue construction paper mural on a classroom wall that is decorated to look like the underwater habitat
that sea anemones live in.
The 1/2 paper strips do not have to be to exact measured size. It is acceptable for the strips of paper to be
approximately 1/2 but not exactly 1/2 .
The paper folding techniques handout is optional and does not have to be handed out to students.






Instructional
Sequence
Approximate
Time
Procedure
Day 1
Set Up








Introduction




















Part I of Instruction
Math Based
Day 1
(3 minutes)








(6 minutes)




















(11 minutes)
Day 1
While the teacher is beginning to explain what the focus of this lesson is going
to be, he/she can set up all of the materials necessary to complete this project.
This should be set up at a table at one side of the room, organized by each type
of material. This acts as a materials station that students can get the materials
for the sea anemones as needed. Having this table neatly organized allows for
a quicker, smoother lesson because the students will not have to dig and search
for the materials that they need.


To start the lesson, the teacher will begin showing a PowerPoint presentation
with images of balance and pattern in art. The teacher will ask the students
where they see balance or patterns in the art. This is where the teacher will
explain the definitions of patterns as well as balance/symmetry. The teacher
will conclude the introduction by asking the students if there is anywhere
someone can see balance and patterns in the world other than art.

Today were going to be learning about two of the Principles of Design: balance
and pattern. To begin our lesson, lets take a look at some examples of these
principles in pieces of artwork.

[Proceeds to go through and explain where pattern and balance are in the
pieces of artwork]

Pattern is a principle of design in which a group of shapes put next to each
other to create the same design over and over again. Balance is a principle of
design where the different parts of a shape or piece of art are equal to each
other. Can anyone think of any examples in the world where pattern and
balance exist other than in art?


The teacher will display images of basic shapes on the PowerPoint. The first
few pictures will display a pattern of polygons. The teacher will ask the
students to identify whether or not this is an example of a pattern and to
defend their answer. The point of this is part is to ensure that students
understand that a pattern can be created using basic math polygons.

The teacher will then display the image of a single polygon. A large circle will be
placed onto the PowerPoint. During this portion, the teacher will ask the
students if this circle incorporates balance. After asking the students this, the
teacher will proceed to show that the circle has balance symmetry, both linear
and radial. The teacher will show examples of both linear and radial symmetry
on the PowerPoint. Incorporating this section into the lesson covers Learning
Objective 2) Students will learn about the relationship between symmetry,
math, and patterns.

Do you think that this circle has balance? Why or why not?

This circle is an example of a shape that has symmetry. When an object has
symmetry, it looks exactly the same on either side of its middle point. There are
two types of symmetry: linear and radial. Linear symmetry is when an object
can be folded in half and looks exactly the same on either side of the middle line.
Radial symmetry is when an object looks exactly the same surrounding all sides
of a middle point. Everywhere you look, no matter where you turn, has the
exact same pattern.

Instructional
Sequence
Approximate
Time
Procedure
Part II of Instruction
Science Based




































Beginning of Core
Activity



(17 minutes)





































(6 minutes)




After the students have an understanding of the definitions of balance/pattern
and can identify it in shapes, the teacher will show students examples of
patterns and balances/symmetry in nature on the PowerPoint. Some examples
of this include images of 1) spider webs, 2) flowers, and 3) veins of leaves. The
teacher will call on students to identify the shapes that make up the patterns in
nature. Following this, the teacher will ask the students to identify whether or
not these have symmetry.

After hearing the answers of a few students, the teacher will discuss that sea
anemones are an example of a living create that has symmetry. The teacher will
follow this up by projecting many different examples of sea anemones in a
variety of colors on the PowerPoint. The definition of sea anemone will be
displayed on the PowerPoint. The teacher will ask the students to identify
which type of symmetry the sea anemone has and how they reached their
answers. The teacher will show how a sea anemone is cut into radial symmetry
on the PowerPoint. To contrast this, the teacher will also show what the lines
look like an object was cut in half due to linear symmetry.


The teacher will then spend a brief amount of time discussing the habitat and
lifestyle of sea anemones. The following topics will be introduced to the
students via the PowerPoint that is attached to this document:
The environment surrounding sea anemones (and define the term
habitat)
Sea anemone diets
Where they are located in the world
Body structure (radial symmetry)
The teacher will facilitate a brief in class discussion regarding these topics.
Incorporating this part into the lesson covers Learning Objective 4) Students
will learn about sea anemone habitats and lifestyles through a discussion
facilitated by the teacher. The following questions will be asked to students:
What did you find most interesting about sea anemones?
Has anyone ever seen a sea anemone and can share their experience
with the class?
Is there anything that surprised you about them?
Do you think it is easy to see the radial symmetry in its body?


The teacher will recap what the students have learned so far that day,
proceeded by instructing the students that they will be creating their own sea
anemones starting in this class session and ending in a different class session.

So far we have discussed balance and pattern in art, and how this is found in

















Clean Up/Closure for
Day 1




Day 2
Core Activity













































(2 minutes)





Day 2
(35 minutes)




























other places in the world as well. We saw how patterns and balance are found
in shapes in math and can be seen all throughout different places in nature. Sea
anemones are an example of something in nature that has radial symmetry,
which is a type of balance. In order to pull together everything that we have
learned today, we are each going to be taking our time making our own three-
dimensional sea anemone.

The teacher will grab the white construction paper circles from the table at the
side of the classroom and hand one to each student. The students will also each
be given a 6 x 6 blue construction paper square and liquid glue.

To start making the sea anemone, we will be using the white circles as a base.
As you may have noticed, there are 2 drawn lines on each of the circles that
create 4 equal pieces. We will be starting the project tomorrow, but in the mean
time I would like for you to take the white construction circle and glue it to the
middle of the blue square that I handed you.

Students will take time to write their names on the back of their squares using a
pencil after the circle has been glued to them. The teacher will collect these
squares and make a pile on the table. The table will not be cleared of the
materials until after Day 2 of the lesson is completed. This concludes Day 1 of
the lesson.

Day 2
The teacher will pick up with the lesson where it was left off previously. The
teacher will begin by handing out the squares that each student made in class
the day before. Once every student has their square, the teacher will pass out
the 1/2 x 6 strips of paper.

I will now pass out the strips of paper that we are going to be using in order to
create our sea anemone. The square that you created yesterday will serve as
the body of the sea anemone. The strips of paper I am handing out are going to
be the colorful tentacles that are on sea anemones. I will teach you many
different ways to fold the paper so that you can create the tentacles in whatever
pattern you would like to. There is, however, one rule. You have to create your
sea anemone using radial symmetry. Can anyone remind the class what it
means for an object to have radial symmetry?

The teacher will call on a student to explain what radial symmetry is. After the
student shares their definition, the teacher will explain to the students that
their sea anemone pattern has to begin from the middle point and spread
outward.

The best way to create your sea anemone is to start at the middle point and
make a circle around it using the different strips of paper. For each ring that you
make around the middle point, they must be the same color and the same three-
dimensional structure. This is what is going to give your sea anemone radial
symmetry because the structures will be the same around the middle point. I
will now show you the different types of ways that you can create three-
dimensional paper structures.

The teacher will proceed to teach the students the different ways to fold and
make shapes with the strips of paper. The teacher will use a camera to project

































Closure/Reflection




















































(7 minutes)



















what he/she is doing on a television screen. The teacher will also pass out a
handout with all of the different types of paper folding and paper gluing that
the students can complete. The teacher will be saying the same instructions
aloud that are typed out onto the handout. The handout is attached below as a
document. It includes:
Pleated folding
Box folding
Fringe folding
Curl folding (2 types)
Creating a tab and gluing it down
Creating a square in a three-dimensional figure and gluing it down
Students will have the freedom to work on their project as the teacher is giving
instructions if they feel comfortable enough to do this on their own. This
incorporates Learning Objective 3) Students will discover new ways to fold and
cut paper in order to create three-dimensional pieces of artwork.


After the teacher is done demonstrating what to do, he/she will walk around
while the students are working on their sea anemones to ensure that they are
correctly portraying radial symmetry and to check on the progress of each
students work to ensure that the teacher has enough time to reflect and
discuss what was learned in class that day. To ensure that the students are
grasping the concepts outlined by the learning objectives, the teacher will ask
the following questions as he/she circulates around the classroom:
What do you define as radial symmetry?
Which is your favorite method of folding paper? Do you find some
ways easier to do than others?
What pattern(s) of folded paper did you choose to include in your sea
anemone? Can you show me where there is radial symmetry in your
piece of art?



The teacher will facilitate a classroom discussion about what the students
learned during the two-day lesson. The discussion is designed to be open-
ended. Some of these open ended questions can include:
What is the difference between linear and radial symmetry? Which did
you use for the sea anemone?
What types of things in the world have symmetry? Can you find
symmetry in places other than nature? If so, where else can you find
it?
What is the most interesting fact that you learned about sea anemones
today?
What was your favorite technique for cutting paper? Did you find this
to be difficult?

At the end of the discussion, the teacher will inform the students that they will
have to complete a journal entry at home to hand in to be graded the next day.
The students will be required to reflect on and respond to these questions in
their journal entry to turn in:
What is radial symmetry and what is linear symmetry? What is the
difference between them? Which principle of design are they part of?













Clean Up













(3 minutes)
Are balance and patterns found in nature, math, or in art? Is it possible
for symmetry to be found in three? Name two examples of each type
that have balance and pattern in it.
Open Ended/Challenge Question (this will serve as extra credit): Think
of the terms we used to define balance and patterns. Why do you think
it is necessary for builders to use balance and patterns carefully in their
designs? Therefore, is it possible for balance and patterns to exist in
places other than nature, math, or art? Explain.
The journal entry incorporates Learning Objective 1) Students will understand
and demonstrate a basic understanding of two Principles of Design: 1)
Pattern/Repetition and 2) Balance, focusing on radial symmetry


Students will throw away their scraps in the garbage and ensure that all
materials are placed back onto the table. Any materials that are left over from
the lesson will be collected by the teacher and be put away. The teacher will
collect the sea anemones from all students before the lesson is over.

After the lesson is completed, the teacher can either grade the sea anemones to
hand them back to the students to bring home the next day or they can place
them on a classroom underwater mural where the sea anemones can be seen
by everyone in the school. This mural can also include definitions of balance,
pattern, radial symmetry, and information about the lifestyle and environment
of sea anemones.