2D Shapes and Symmetry — Tasmanian Year 4 Maths
Line symmetry, combining and splitting shapes, creating symmetrical patterns by reflection, and rotational symmetry. Four subtopics and 80 questions with answers, aligned to AC9M4SP01 and AC9M4SP03.
2D Shapes and Symmetry in Tasmanian Year 4
This topic is about flat shapes and the patterns they make. Students find lines of symmetry, join and cut shapes to make new ones, complete symmetrical patterns by reflecting squares across a line, and find out which shapes look the same after part of a turn.
The four subtopics below are line symmetry, combining and splitting shapes, creating symmetrical patterns and rotational symmetry. 2D Shapes and Symmetry is one of the 20 topics in Tasmanian Year 4 Maths and sits in the Space strand. It covers Australian Curriculum codes AC9M4SP01 and AC9M4SP03. The work on reflections and turns leads on to transformations in later years.
Subtopics
2D Shapes and Symmetry: common questions
What is a line of symmetry?
It is a fold line that splits a shape into two halves that match exactly. Test it by folding a paper cut-out: if one half lands exactly on the other, the fold is a line of symmetry. A heart shape has one, straight down the middle, while some shapes have several and some have none.
What is rotational symmetry?
A shape has rotational symmetry if it looks exactly the same after less than a full turn about its centre. Its order is the number of times it matches in one full turn. A plus sign with four equal arms matches after every quarter turn, so its order is 4.
How do you combine and split shapes?
Join shapes edge to edge with no gaps or overlaps, or cut along straight lines, then name the new shape by counting its outside sides, not the pieces inside it. Three equal squares in a row make a long rectangle, and a square cut along both of its diagonals makes 4 triangles.
How can my child practise symmetry at home?
Fold and cut paper shapes such as snowflakes and butterflies, and look for lines of symmetry in leaves, logos and road signs. On squared paper, shade half a pattern and ask your child to finish the mirror image, keeping each square the same distance from the line. Turning a cut-out shape on a pin shows rotational symmetry.
Which curriculum codes cover 2D Shapes and Symmetry in Tasmanian Year 4?
The topic covers Australian Curriculum v9 codes AC9M4SP03 (line and rotational symmetry and symmetrical patterns) and AC9M4SP01 (making shapes from combinations of simpler ones). Naming the special quadrilaterals is not part of the Australian Curriculum’s Year 4 work.