Radial Symmetry Name Designs

This is a project that gives students a fun and successful start to the school year. It requires some spatial reasoning skills and you will find that your students will be quietly engaged. I love when that happens! The directions might seem confusing until you try it yourself. Then you'll see that it's really quite easy.
MATERIALS: 8 1/2" X 8 1/2" white computer paper that you have pre-cut for your students, pencils, black or blue sharpies and classroom markers.
 Here are the steps:
1) Fold the paper in half twice to create 4 boxes. OPEN IT.
2) Fold the paper in half diagonally twice. OPEN IT and you will have 8 triangles.
3) Pencil sketch your name into ONE triangle. Use block or bubble letters that you can color inside of later. Make sure that the letters "grow" as you move across the triangle.
4) Trace your name with a sharpie.

 5)Fold the paper in half so that your name shows inside of a new triangle and trace it. This can be done up against a sunny window.
6) Keep folding the paper and tracing your name until all triangles are filled with your name.
7) Color the entire design in your very own interesting pattern using fresh and brilliant markers.

~ You can see in the completed designs that every other name is backwards, hence the symmetry. Be careful to put all of your names on the same side of the paper.

When displayed all together it is a visual delight.
Nice Work, Wildcats!