Splitting Shapes

Most shapes can be split in half.  Shapes can be separated by at least one line of symmetry.  It is like discovering a puzzle because some shapes have more than one line of symmetry.  You can split them in half in different ways.   Here are a few shapes and the idea of symmetry.

How many ways can a rectangle be split in half?  Would a vertical line (top to bottom) work?  Would a horizontal line (side to side) work?  How about an oblique line (corner to corner)?  Cut out the rectangle from the worksheet your student brought home today and give it a try by folding it corner to corner.

A circle has a many possibilities for a line of symmetry.  It has so many choices for symmetry that they become difficult to count.  This can be described as an infinite number of lines of symmetry!

Hopefully you are having fun with the shapes of symmetry your student brought home today.  Just in case you are getting frustrated the arrows below will help you find the different ways to fold each shape.  Did you find all of the choices for each shape?  Were there shapes that challenged you?