Beginning the design process has been a wealth of possibilities. Thankfully, we have Alex Berke’s beautiful coloring book as a centerpiece:
Alex also designed a mini workbook that reviews the types of symmetries we’ll be focusing on:
And the PLIX team provided a kit to get the creativity going:
As an adult services librarian, I have witnessed the popularity of coloring grow from a predominantly children’s activity to an activity appreciated by all age groups, particularly for it’s meditative qualities. Coloring pages create a fenced in playground for creativity, a framework that can make being creative less daunting. For this activity we are using that framework to teach mathematics, while allowing space for discovery and experimentation.
I began by familiarizing myself with the basic concepts of symmetry outlined in the coloring packet (Translation, Mirror Reflection, and Glide symmetries) by doing the exercises myself:
Through doing these exercises, I began to recognize patterns of symmetry in other aspects of life, especially in music. What struck me most was the importance of breaking patterns and how setting a pattern and then breaking it captures our attention in a new way.
When coloring, we often naturally create and break patterns to create something we think is beautiful; by introducing the discussion of mathematical concepts, we are defining what already exists. Another aspect of the design process is determining how much new vocabulary to introduce. There needs to be enough to be able to discuss the concepts, but no so much to deter the audience from the activity.