Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Reflective and rotational symmetry in regular polygons (2)

In a Year 5 mathematics lesson on symmetry, students explore the concepts of reflective and rotational symmetry as they pertain to regular polygons. Starting with a regular hexagon, it is established that this six-sided shape boasts 6 lines of symmetry, which can be visualised by drawing straight lines through the shape that divide it into two identical halves. Furthermore, the hexagon is shown to have rotational symmetry of order 6, meaning it can be rotated around its centre and will look the same at six different positions during a full 360-degree turn.

Similarly, the lesson moves on to a regular octagon, an eight-sided polygon, which naturally has 8 lines of symmetry. Each line of symmetry bisects the octagon into mirror-image halves. In terms of rotational symmetry, the regular octagon has an order of 8, indicating that it can be rotated about its central point and will match its original position eight times throughout a complete rotation. The interactive 'Let's Try It' section encourages students to apply their understanding by writing the number of lines of symmetry and the order of rotational symmetry for different regular polygons, enhancing their grasp of these geometric properties through practical application.