Practice Set · Part 1
Math is Beauty
Pick up where we left off
Where we left off
Our goal: With my small group, I can use bilateral symmetry to describe structure in nature and in human creations — one step at a time, with support.
The big idea: Bilateral symmetry — two sides that are mirror images — appears throughout nature, and it shapes human creations from art to music to architecture.
Model to copy — Watch me find the symmetry in a butterfly
- I look at the two sides of the butterfly, and they look like mirror images — the butterfly is symmetric.
- All butterflies have reflective symmetry. In plants and animals, this is called bilateral symmetry.
- To show it, I draw a line down the middle of the butterfly's body: everything on the left is reflected on the right.
Start here
You did these with your group. Now do them on your own — the model above is yours to copy.
- 1
Same stepsFinish what the group started. Use the model above, step for step.
Let's find the symmetry in a growing plant: This plant grows in layers, and each layer is made up of two leaves — so 3 layers hold 3 × 2 = 6 leaves. In the first layer, one leaf is a mirror image of the other. To show the bilateral symmetry in the second layer, we draw a line down the middle of the layer, along the center of each leaf. Are the leaves EXACTLY symmetric? Nature comes close, but living things are never perfectly identical.My first step is ___ , because the problem asks for ___ .
Show your work - 2
Warm restartA rectangular garden is 8 ft by 5 ft. What is its area?
- A40 square feet
- B26 square feet
- C13 square feet
- D40 cubic feet
- 3
Warm restartA box measures 3 by 4 by 2 units. What is its volume?
- A24 cubic units
- B9 cubic units
- C12 cubic units
- D24 square units
- 4
Warm restartA recipe makes 4 servings using 2 cups of rice. How much rice is in one serving?
- A1/2 cup
- B2 cups
- C8 cups
- D4 cups
Practice Set · Part 2
Math is Beauty
Keep going
You answered these out loud. Now write them.
Answer, then say how you know — the reason is the part that counts.
- 5
Think it throughA butterfly's two wings look like mirror images of each other across a line down the center of its body. What is this type of symmetry called?
- ARotational symmetry
- BBilateral symmetry
- CRadial symmetry
- DPoint symmetry
Why is that the answer?
I chose ___ because ___ .
- 6
Think it throughTo test whether a flower has bilateral symmetry, what should you do first?
- ACount the number of petals
- BMeasure the flower's height
- CDraw a line through the center and compare the two sides
- DCompare the flower to a different type of flower
How do you know?
I chose ___ because ___ .
- 7
Think it throughYour friend says only one of two flowers has bilateral symmetry. You test both by drawing a line through each flower's center and find both sides match on both flowers. What is most likely true?
- AThe friend is right — only one flower truly has symmetry
- BBoth flowers have bilateral symmetry, but the second flower's line of symmetry likely runs in a direction the friend didn't try
- CSymmetry cannot be tested in flowers
- DThe two flowers must be identical in shape to both be symmetric
Explain your thinking.
I chose ___ because ___ .
- 8
Back to the modelThe butterfly's two wings are mirror images across a line down the middle of its body. Why does drawing that line matter for proving the butterfly is symmetric?
Drawing the line matters because it lets us ___ the two sides.
Sort it again — on paper this time
Write the letter of the group each one belongs in.
- A butterfly with wings spread open
- A human face seen from the front
- A dragonfly seen from above
- A layer of two leaves that are mirror images
- A ladybug seen from above
- The letter F
- A spiral snail shell
- The letter R
Practice Set · Part 3
Math is Beauty
Words and reasoning
Word bank · Banco de palabras
Use the words
Fill each blank with a word from the bank.
- Having two halves that match as mirror images is being ___.
- A copy of a figure flipped across a line is its ___ ___.
- Reflective symmetry in plants and animals is called ___ ___.
- The line you draw so each side reflects the other is the ___ ___ ___.
Explain the thinking
- 9
Find the mistakeAnother student made this exact mistake in this lesson. Explain why it is wrong, then write what they should have done.
The mistake: Thinking a figure lacks bilateral symmetry just because its line of symmetry is not vertical — the mirror line can run in any direction, and the test is whether the two sides match across it. - 10
Say moreWhen you sorted cards into 'has bilateral symmetry' and 'no bilateral symmetry,' why did the letter R end up in the 'no' column while a ladybug seen from above ended up in the 'yes' column?
The letter R has no bilateral symmetry because ___.
- 11
Change one numberGo back to Part 1 and pick one problem you already solved. Change one number in it, then solve your new version. Show every step.
If ___ changed to ___ , then ___ .
Show your work
Practice Set · Part 4
Math is Beauty
Show what you know
Last check
These two come from Lesson 10.1. If they are shaky, that is the lesson to revisit — not this one.
- 12
Show what you knowQuick check — you've got this: Which statement best shows what this lesson means by 'math is beauty'?
- AMath creates beautiful designs like bilateral symmetry, found in nature and used in human art, music, and architecture
- BOnly things made by mathematicians can be beautiful
- CButterflies are the only living things with symmetry
- DBeauty and math are opposites — one is feeling and one is numbers
Explain your choice.
I know it is ___ because ___ .
- 13
From Lesson 10.1Quick check — you've got this: Which statement best shows what this lesson means by 'math is everywhere'?
- APeople use math every day in their professions and hobbies, and it solves problems around the house too
- BMath only appears in jobs that involve money
- CMath is a school subject with little relevance to life outside the classroom
- DOnly trained professionals like chefs are able to use math
- 14
From Lesson 10.1Leaving the water running while brushing wastes an average of 4 gallons compared to turning the water on only to rinse. If one person brushes twice a day for a year (365 days), how many gallons would they save by turning the water off?
- A730 gallons
- B1,460 gallons
- C2,920 gallons
- D5,840 gallons
Be honest — this tells your teacher what to do next
| I can… | Not yet | Getting there | Got it |
|---|---|---|---|
| I can use bilateral symmetry to describe structure in nature and in human creations — one step at a time, with support. | |||
| I can explain why it works: Bilateral symmetry — two sides that are mirror images — appears throughout nature… | |||
| I can talk through each step out loud using a sentence frame and the lesson's key words. |
One question I want to ask my group next time