The purpose of this unit is for students to investigate the transformation elements of geometry in spring flowers. They apply these elements to create artworks.
This unit begins with students sorting a selection of spring flowers by their characteristics. As they sort, the students explain and justify their grouping and, in doing so, use and develop important attribute language. This might make reference to the flowers’ colour, size, shape, texture, fragrance, weight, the number of flowers on one stem, and so on. Students might contribute their own unique rationale for their grouping and should be encouraged to develop increasingly sophisticated classifications.
In working closely with a range of flowers the students will notice that they are comprised of interesting shapes that, in many flowers, are arranged in patterns. The transformations demonstrated in these flowers often involve reflections and rotations, in particular, and translations in the arrangement of leaves along a stem. These three transformations are distinct actions and are commonly referred to as ‘flip, turn, slide.’
To understand reflection, students should work with mirrors and reflected images. It is important that students understand that a reflection is not a translated copy, but a ‘flipped reverse’ image. To develop this understanding, it is helpful to talk about the way the image is ‘flipped’, and to describe the image from the line of symmetry outwards.
Students need to understand that a rotation is when an object turns around a point. In the case of some flowers, the turns made by petals are part turns, or half and quarter turns, which, when repeated, complete one full turn or rotation. Students should have many opportunities to model and explore these actions.
As students work with translation, the focus is on the absence of turns and flips. Rather the only movement is a ‘slide’ along a plane.
As students work with the flowers, an appreciation of their aesthetic qualities is developed. Flowers have inspired artworks and have been appreciated for their beauty throughout history. As students view the results of their own and each other’s practical creative tasks, it is important that they are given opportunities to express the feelings and responses.
Visual Arts, level 1
The learning opportunities in this unit can be differentiated by providing or removing support to students, and by varying the task requirements. Ways to differentiate include:
The activities in this unit can be adapted to use objects that are part of your students' everyday life. For example, you may prefer to use leaves, shells, or other images with the appropriate symmetry instead of flowers.
Te reo Māori kupu such as whakaata (reflection), hangarite (symmetrical, symmetry), huri (rotate, rotation), and neke (translate) could be introduced in this unit and used throughout other mathematical learning. You could also encourage students, who speak a language other than English at home, to share the words related to transformations that they use at home.
Whilst this unit is presented as sequence of five sessions, more sessions than this may be required. It is also expected that any session may extend beyond one teaching period.
This session focuses on students becoming aware of the attributes of flowers. This is achieved through students sorting flowers, justifying their groupings of flowers, and using the language of attributes. You might make links in this session to the conservation or growth of native plants in your local environment. A local horticulturalist might be able to come talk to your class about spring flowers.
SLOs:
Activity 1
Activity 2
Make a selection of spring flowers available.
Activity 3
This session focuses on students understanding the symmetry of reflection, explaining this using their own words, and applying this knowledge.
SLOs:
Activity 2
Make available individual copies of the photographs of the flowers shown on Copymaster 2.
Activity 3
Make Copymaster 3 available to each student.
Activity 4
This session focuses on students applying their understanding of symmetry to create a sand-saucer flower design.
SLO:
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
This session develops the understanding that rotation is turning around a point.
SLOs:
Activity 1
Activity 2
This session develops the understanding that when a shape is translated, it slides, without turning or flipping, in one direction along a plane.
SLOs:
Activity 1
Activity 2
Dear parents and whānau,
We have been finding out about the famous artist Van Gogh and his picture, Sunflowers. We have been artists too and have used geometry (reflection, rotation and translation) to help us to make our artworks.
Please come and visit our classroom Art Gallery and write your comments about our maths and our art.
Thank you.
Printed from https://nzmaths.co.nz/resource/transformations-spring at 10:00pm on the 25th April 2024