1. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Sample Album of Learning Task Documentation Entry
Learning Task: Felt Boards – Butterfly Symmetry
Description:
Students work independently with a felt board
background and the outline felt shape of a butterfly.
They place small coloured geometric shapes on the two
wings attempting match the shapes on one wing shapes of
the type and colour on the opposite wing. They can either
create the symmetrical pattern shape by shape or
complete all the shapes on one wing before attempting to Student Learning Outcomes:
make the symmetrical match on the opposite wing.
Spatial Sense and Geometry:
Learning task adapted from: • Creates symmetrical figures using
The “Folder Activities” at FeltBoardStories.com. concrete materials
Age Group: Prerequisite Concepts, Skills, & Values:
5.5 to 7.5 years • follows class routines for selecting,
using and returning individual learning
Subject Area: tasks
Mathematics • adopts class routines for obtaining
teacher support to demonstrate
Subject Strands: learning tasks and to obtain assistance
Geometry & Spatial Awareness • recognizes symmetry in the natural and
man-made environment
Subject Topic: • can identify a line separating one side
Symmetry of the symmetrical design from the
other (reflection line
Background Information:
• states the names of common geometric
Children see symmetry around them from the day that
shapes
they are born. They unconciously smile when they see the
symmtry of a familiar face. Symmetry exists in furniture,
Learning Theory & Instructional
toys, animals, and plants. Once students can identify
Strategies:
geometric shapes they begin to realize that these shapes
• the activity is based upon a cognitive
often appear in organized symmetrical patterns in
approach where students make links
buildings. They begin to look for and become
with previous experiences
comfortable with ‘balance’ in their surroundings.
Spinning off from the natural symmetrical balance of the • a teacher demonstration is how the
wings of a butterfly this challenge asks them to create a learning task commences
symmetrical pattern on the wings of a butterfly outline • this activity can be thought of as a
using familiar shapes. semi-formal introduction to the study
of transformation geometry where
shapes are slid, flipped, turned, and
Student Characteristics Accommodated: altered in size.
• Accommodates kinesthetic, spatial and
logical mathematical intelligences were
considered in the design of this activity as
students practice creating duplicate (and
reflected) patterns using common shapes.

2. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
• The ability to identify similarities in shape,
sizes, and colours is applied here.
• Children remember what some describe as
‘pretty
patterns’ and attempt to reproduce such
arrangements.
• Creativity, originality and invention are evident
in the arrangements constructed by some
students in this
totally open-end challenge.
Introduction of the Learning Task:
• Show the child how to place the butterfly
background on the black feltboard.
• Demonstrate how to a coloured shape on one
wing
of the butterfly and then ask the child to find a A more advanced learning task:
shape of the same size and colour. • Notice that this learning task is
• Ask the child where this felt piece should be targetted at the students in the age
placed to match the existing one. range from five and a half to seven
• Request that the child place another matching and a half.
pair of shapes on the butterfly. • Many students will not be ready for
• Leave the child to work independently, telling this activity.
him to notify you when his butterfly is • Students who are familiar with the
complete. use of a felt board and have worked
with several learning tasks related to
Checklist of Activity Items: spatial sense and geometry may be
• Black feltboard ready to make symmetrical butterfly
• A blank felt butterfly. patterns.
• A box or bag containing a large assortment of • Begin with a few shapes of the same
differently coloured shapes of a variety of sizes. colour before making the task more
complicated.
Extension Activities: • When the child thinks that the task is
• A variation on the challenge can consist of using too easy then add variations in colour
different shapes of the same colour or the same shape and size to the shapes available.
with different sizes to create designs such as the one at
the top of this page.
• Students could use Kid Pix or Tux Paint to create
symmetrical designs and print out to display or take Evaluation Rubric:
home. 1. Does not identify symmetrical
• Following exploration with a kaliedoxcope, students patterns.
could use pattern blocks to create patterns with 2. Places a few shapes in a
rotational symmetry. symmetrical pattern, however
there may be difference in size
Enrichment Activities: and/or colour.
• Students could read storybooks or non-fiction books 3. Creates symmetrical patterns on
about butterflies. the wings of the butterfly.
• Students paint pictures a theme of symmetry, 4. Applies the idea of symmetrical
patterns to situations other than
this learning tasks with
butterflies.

3. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
• Students create symetrical designs pasting paper
shapes on a background.
• Students could create a butterfly puppet with a wire
frame and symmetrical shapes glued on a gauze
background.
Assessment Techniques:
• Student compares the two wings of their butterflies
using their fingers to measure distances.
• Instructor observes a student while placing shapes on
the butterfly.
• The instructor asks the student questions to ensure the
student pattern was a planned rather than accidental
occurrence. Vocabulary:
• Instructor records the completed butterfly with a butterfly, felt, mirror image, flip, turn,
digital still camera to place in the child’s portfolio. shape, circle, pentagon, diamond, square,
rectangle, ellipse, size, larger, smaller,
Feedback Suggestions: colour, red, yellow, blue, purple, black,
• How can you decide which shape to put on next? green, orange,
• What is difference these the placement of these two
shapes? References:
• How could you measure to be sure things are the same • Images from Clipart.com,
distance from the centre of the butterfly? Animation Factory.com, and
• All of the shapes are placed correct! Which words Hermera Photo–Objects.
could you use to describe your butterfly? • FeltBoardStories.com.
• If your butterfly could talk, what might it talk about?
Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:
• Talk to students on a regular basis
about patterns in the environment,
in photographs, and in art.
• Provide students with mirrors to
place on a table as they look at
reflections of their creations.
• When students are ‘lining up’
sometimes order them so that the
tallest are in the middle with equal
distribution of sizes in either
direction.
• Ask students to form groups which
create symmetrical patterns in the
gym.
• Talk about the rotational symmetry
of the parachute during activities.
Key Words:
symmetry, reflection, mirror image, flip,
horizontal, vertical, turn, rotation, rotate,
feltboard, kaliedoscope, pattern blocks,
shape, circle, pentagon, diamond, square,
rectangle, ellipse, size, larger, smaller