Symmetry Butterflies: Free Lesson Plan Download

Grade Level: K-2 Art Education Lesson Plan

Art Elements: Line of Symmetry, Shape, Pattern

Art Skills: Drawing, Painting, Symmetry, Cutting

Making Connections: Math and Science

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One of our Power Standards in Second Grade is “Students will produce symmetry within artwork.”  Because there are so many tricks out there to make something symmetrical, I really wanted to see if my students could get it by having every aspect of the lesson be “freehand symmetry.”   Although I broke the lesson down into “steps” each step involved the students’ own artistic decisions in order to complete the task. This is how I balance that fine line between creativity and structure in my art room. I do have to say that this lesson is a slam dunk in both of those aspects, and the products all turned out different and were beautiful. I got lots of compliments about them in the hallways. The kids did a great job!

You’ll never guess where I got the idea for this lesson? I was browsing through one of my favorite magazines, “Better Homes and Gardens” and saw a room with butterfly art much like this on the walls. The homeowners in the article said it was their children’s art. It looked so great, I peered closely at the pieces and made this lesson based upon it. I think the success here is the limited color palette and breaking it down into steps!

What lessons do you have that incorporate Symmetry into artwork?