Free Lesson Plan on Symmetry with Art Integration

It happens in every math classroom. A student will raise their hand and ask the dreaded question, “Why does learning about symmetry even matter??” Of course, you know that math concepts do matter. They help students understand the world, increase their critical thinking, and prepare them for future careers. But students aren’t always able to make these connections, which is why integrating real-world experiences into your lesson plans on symmetry is essential.

One of the best ways to bring the real world and math together is through art. It might sound crazy because art is often seen as abstract, but actually, art uses many real-world subjects like nature and architecture.

Why Use Art in Your Lesson Plan on Symmetry?

As I mentioned, symmetry has a lot of real-world connections. When you bring art into your activities on symmetry, you can apply knowledge to nature, architecture, cultural designs, and more. Students can actually see their knowledge in action and apply it to something tangible.

Teaching symmetry with art also helps with spatial reasoning skills. Students learn to manipulate shapes, lines, and patterns to create symmetry, which can strengthen their skills in understanding and visualizing symmetrical transformations. These skills can actually be applied across a lot of geometry concepts, so it’s excellent practice.

Art activities with symmetry also help students retain what they learn. By using art, students are engaged and applying their knowledge in a hands-on way. They also need a deeper understanding of symmetry to apply it to art. When you look at the hierarchy of skills, memorizing and learning are at the bottom, but as students apply and create, their skills deepen and become more complex.

Free Art Activities with Symmetry

Bring symmetry and art together with the free Symmetry Art Worksheets! This 12-page set will help students explore symmetry through artistic drawing. Each worksheet contains a different bug, and students will complete the image by applying the symmetry concepts that they know.

This activity works great for morning work and centers because it's hands-on and reinforces student knowledge without being time-consuming and challenging to set up. 

When you sign up for the free Symmetry Art Worksheets, you’ll also get an email walking you through how to incorporate works from master artists into your lessons on symmetry. This will help you bridge the gap between art and math and also show students how real artists used symmetry in their drawings.

I’m Amanda, and I align standards and integrate content to help teachers meet the needs of the Whole Child in art class! I have yet to find a standard that I couldn’t teach through art, and I want to share it all with you.

Not sure where to start with bringing art and content together? This freebie guide is packed with 25 ideas to align your art lessons with math and ELA standards. Your students will be crafting art and practicing algebraic thinking. Win-win!

I want all students to feel successful in the art room, so I created a standards-based Daffodil Collage lesson to do just that! The lesson includes an artist study, student reflection, and more, so push your artists to their full potential.

Follow along on my Instagram page for more tips on teaching the Whole Child in the art room!

Connecting art and content together doesn’t have to be mind-boggling. I’ve made it simple with 25 math and ELA art lesson starters - for free! Plus, I included 15 worksheets for students to reflect on their art-making journey.