Looking for patterns in nature (or spotting spirals and seeing symmetry)

Take a look at this ivy leaf; what do you notice about the pattern? 

Tommy told us that as both halves of the leaf are the same, it is symmetrical. 

Meghna showed us some beautiful butterfly pictures.  These too had symmetrical patterns, made with spots and stripes.

  

Viivi's snowflake patterns are also symmetrical (both the one she made herself and real-life ones!)

Viivi also brought us some sea urchins.  We noticed that these too were symmetrical, with their striped and spotted patterns.

Even Virginia's squash is almost symmetrical.  It too has a stripy pattern; of orange and yellow.

What other things in nature can you think of that have symmetrical  patterns?

We also found a different kind of pattern.  It began with the obvious spiral of this fossil that Leon brought.

That got us thinking.  We also found a spiral pattern in the huge shell that Quentin brought to show us.

 

And then we looked really closely at this pine cone (that Aabis had found).  What do you notice about the way in which it grew?

The next time you are out and about 'in nature' take a much closer look at the things you see.  Where can you spot spirals?

Where do you see symmetry?

Patterns in our food?

We had absolutely the best fun on Friday afternoon.  It began with an assembling of some intriguing ingredients in the classroom.....

as well as some alarming-looking weaponry!

We were going to have a go at making sushi.  Sushi?  What's that?

Meghna: 'It's like a rectangle wrapped around.  Some green stuff with rice inside.'

Virginia: 'It's made with rice inside and seaweed round the edges.'

Sivert: 'You can put different things inside.'

Viivi: 'You can put fish inside it.'

Sharukh: 'Salmon.'

Quentin: 'A lot of rice.'

Martin: 'Meat.'

Thomas: 'Carrot.'

Shahrbano: 'Cucumber.'

Raamy: 'On top of the rice, spices.'

Clearly these are children who know a thing or two!  Some sophisticated palates we have in Class 2i!

Aabis: 'Ketchup.....'

Hmm.  Well yes; I guess you can put ketchup on pretty much anything.  But when you do that, what do you taste?  The food you put it on?  Or the ketchup?

Point taken.  There will be no ketchup with our sushi.

But first.  What does the word sushi mean?

Thomas again: 'Seaweed?'

Owen: 'Food?'

Harrison: 'Something to eat?'

Martin: 'A plant?'

It means rice with vinegar.  'Eeugh!'  No really; you mix sticky rice (see quite how sticky in a while!) with just enough vinegar for a particular taste.  But we are getting ahead of ourselves here.

In the background the room is slowly filling up with steam and a bubbling noise becomes apparent.  The (sticky) rice is almost done.  Lid off and tea-towels to cover it.

Next, a square of cling-film for everyone.  (Now I wonder what that's for.....)

Plonk a square of seaweed on top of the cling-film(yes, sure; sniff it first to make sure).

Spoon 'a lot of rice' on top.

No!  Don't touch; it really is sticky!  And still quite hot!

And now, choose your toppings.  Fancy dried salmon eggs?  Sprinkle on a spoonful.  Herbs and spices?

Carrot?  Cucumber? Omelette strips? 

 

Lay on a few.  Choose what you fancy!

Just take a look at our amazing patterns.....

And here comes the clever part.  Carefully pick up the cling-film with the sushi and all the toppings.....

 

and roll it up!

 

The best bit?  Unpeel the cling-film and open wide!

Miam!  'squisito!  おいしい!  очень вкусный!  Smakelijk!  Delicious!

Certainly judging by the number of cling-film rolls.....

that went home afterwards in hot little hands ('for my mum, my brother, my dad'; probably even 'for my auntie Mabel'!) making them was pretty good fun.

Eating them was good too; between us we devoured a kilo bag of rice.  Not to mention sheets and sheets of seaweed.....

and even the odd crust of bread when everything else had gone (possibly to fill the tiniest of holes!)

With heartfelt thanks to three incredibly generous (and patient) mums; those belonging to Leon, Ryoma and Kazuya (who isn't even in our class!)

本当にありがとう!

Oh PS.  The weaponry?  Well, we didn't get to use either the tricky-looking chopstick machines (fingers were so much more effective!) or the fearsome sharp knife (no need to slice them into delicate pieces when one can shovel them in!)

Weave a little magic.....

We have been continuing our look at patterns with a closer look at those with squares; more specifically, checkered patterns.  We had found them in the games cupboard as well as in our maths books and even on our clothes.  Now though, we were going to have a go at making our own; by weaving with strips of coloured paper.

First, we had to make the frame, by carefully folding a ready-printed piece of paper in half and then cutting along the lines.

Next we had to choose strips of paper in two, or three or even four different colours.....

and then weave them in and out of the frame.....

by going first under and then over and then under again (and so on!)  Actually, the first row was quite easy!

For the next row though, we had to go over and then under and then over again. Get the idea?  Tricky, huh?

Using a ruler, in the same way as real weavers use a 'shuttle' made the task a bit easier for some of us.....

but even then, we had to be very careful.....

to make sure.....

that we didn't get our unders and overs in a muddle!

In the end, though, even if it meant getting a little help from our friends.....

everyone managed to make themselves a professional-looking checkerboard pattern.

 

Chess anyone?