Learning Symmetries e ways

The concept of symmetry plays an important role in learning mathematics. We in our routine teaching follow text book material for teaching this concept. This year, I tried a different approach for introducing students to mathematical symmetries. In my class, I used an interactive software programme http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/for creating beautiful symmetrical patterns called snowflakes. Through this programme, students created variety of mathematical designs. Working with this interactive tool is fun as we have a freedom to use a pair of scissors tool for cutting the paper. The best part of this software is ,once a flake is created you may e-mail it to a friend and save it as an image. My students created snowflakes at home and sent to me using e mail. Some of them used their creations as e-greeting cards .

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Kirigami

Kirigami is an art which is a combination of origami i.e. paper folding, and paper cutting. In Japan, the word kirigami had been in use for a long time because "kiru” means to cut, and “gami” means paper.
Making Paper snowflakes is an example of Kirigami. The students can explore incredible hidden symmetry patterns and write on mathematical interpretations. This way they would not only start loving mathematics but surely ask for more mathematics. Click on the following link and visualize the beauty of mathematical patterns generated. The students can explore many patterns and create them using a paper and a pair of scissors.

Interactive Kirigami tool
http://members.aol.com/kevinsw/kweb/kirigami.html

On the following link the instructions for making a Kirigami Flower are given .
http://www.origami-resource-center.com/kirigami-flower.html