Grade by Grade
B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Visual Arts: Lines, Shapes and Symmetry

D1.3 D1.4 D2.2About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can draw horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines.
  • I can use pointy and curvy lines to show motion.
  • I can use lines inside shapes to decorate them.
  • I can find and make symmetrical shapes and forms, and draw a line of symmetry.
  • I can explain how an artist used line and shape.

Words to know

horizontal line
A line that lies flat, side to side, like the horizon where the sky meets the land.
vertical line
A line that stands straight up and down, like a flagpole.
diagonal line
A slanted line, like a slide or a ramp.
shape
A flat (2D) area with an edge, like a circle or a leaf shape.
form
A shape that is 3D, like a ball (sphere), a box (cube) or a can (cylinder).
symmetrical
When one half is a mirror image of the other half.
line of symmetry
The line that splits a symmetrical shape into two matching halves.

Remember from Grade 1

You took a line for a walk and learned that lines can be wavy, zigzag, spiral, thick and thin. You learned that geometric shapes have math names (circle, square) and organic shapes come from nature (leaves, clouds).

Now let's learn the names of line directions, how lines show motion, and a special idea called symmetry.

Three line directions

  • Horizontal lines lie down flat, like the line where a lake meets the sky. They feel calm and still.
  • Vertical lines stand up tall, like tree trunks and the CN Tower. They feel strong and tall.
  • Diagonal lines are slanted, like a toboggan hill or a ski jump. They feel like movement, as if something might slide or fall!
Tall birch and pine tree trunks standing in front of a calm lake with a long, flat far shore.
Find the lines! The tree trunks are vertical lines that feel tall and strong. The far shore of the lake makes a long horizontal line that feels calm and still. AI-generated image
horizontalverticaldiagonalpointycurvyPointy and curvy lines can show motion.
Horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, plus pointy and curvy lines that show motion.

Lines that show motion

  • Pointy lines (like zigzags) show fast, sharp or bumpy motion: lightning, a bouncing ball, a scared cat's fur standing up.
  • Curvy lines show smooth, flowing motion: wind, waves, a skater gliding, smoke from a chimney.

Cartoonists draw little curvy lines behind a running dog to show it is moving fast!

Lines inside shapes

Artists often draw lines inside shapes to decorate them or to show what something is made of:

  • stripes on a toque
  • lines for the bricks on a house
  • the veins inside a leaf
  • zigzags on a fish's scales

Symmetry

Fold a paper heart in half. Both halves match exactly! That is symmetry.

A shape is symmetrical when one half is a mirror image of the other. The fold line is called the line of symmetry.

line of symmetry
A butterfly is symmetrical. The dashed line of symmetry splits it into two matching halves.

Symmetry is everywhere

  • In nature: butterflies, snowflakes, your face, and many leaves (a maple leaf is nearly symmetrical)
  • In buildings: many buildings have matching windows and doors on each side, like the Parliament buildings in Ottawa
  • In art: in Anishinaabe and Cree birchbark biting, an artist folds a thin piece of birch bark and bites a design into it with their teeth. When the bark is opened, the design is symmetrical! Cree artist Angelique Merasty was famous for her detailed birchbark bitings of flowers, butterflies and insects.
Just for fun: symmetrical words

Some words are symmetrical! Write MOM or WOW in capital letters and draw a line down the middle. Each half is a mirror image of the other.

Shapes and forms

A shape is flat (2D), like a circle drawn on paper.

A form is 3D, like a ball. Buildings use forms: cubes and rectangular prisms for walls, cylinders for towers, pyramids or triangular prisms for roofs.

Many buildings are symmetrical forms: the left side matches the right side.

Worked example

Example: Drawing a symmetrical house

Let's draw a house that is symmetrical.

  1. Fold a paper in half, then open it. The fold is your line of symmetry.
  2. Draw a vertical line on each side for the walls, the same distance from the fold.
  3. Draw two diagonal lines meeting at the top, right on the fold, for the roof.
  4. Draw a door in the middle, across the fold.
  5. Draw one window on the left. Draw a matching window in the same place on the right.
  6. Add lines inside shapes: horizontal lines for bricks and a cross inside each window.

The house is symmetrical because both halves match. We used vertical walls, a diagonal roof and lines inside shapes for details.

Worked example

Example: Talking about line in an art work

Look at a picture of Vincent van Gogh's painting The Starry Night (with a grown-up, from a museum or library website). How did he use line?

  1. I see lots of curvy lines swirling in the sky.
  2. There is a tall, dark, vertical shape on one side (a tree).
  3. I think the curvy lines make the sky look like it is moving and spinning, like wind.
  4. I feel it looks exciting and a bit dreamy.

Van Gogh used curvy lines to show motion in the sky, and a tall vertical tree to show something strong and still.

Hands-on activity

Fold-and-cut symmetry art

You need: paper, scissors (with a grown-up), crayons or markers. Optional: paint.

  1. Fold a paper in half.
  2. Draw half of a shape against the fold: half a butterfly, half a leaf, half a flower or half a building.
  3. Cut along your line (don't cut the fold!) and open it up. It's symmetrical!
  4. Decorate both halves the same way using lines inside shapes: stripes, zigzags, dots and curvy lines.
  5. Paint blot option: put a few drops of paint on one half, fold, press, and open for a symmetrical print.

This is inspired by the idea of symmetry in birchbark biting. We don't copy the bitten designs; we make our own.

Your turn

1

Draw a horizontal, a vertical and a diagonal line.

2

Which kind of line would you use to draw a ski hill?

3

Which kind of line shows smooth, flowing motion, like wind: pointy or curvy?

4

What does symmetrical mean?

5

Is the letter A symmetrical? Where is the line of symmetry?

6

What is the difference between a shape and a form?

7

Name something in nature that is symmetrical.

More practice: warm-up

1

Is a flagpole a horizontal or vertical line?

2

Is the horizon over a lake horizontal or vertical?

3

Draw a pointy (zigzag) line.

4

Is a ball a shape or a form?

5

Fold a paper heart in half. Do the halves match?

More practice: on your own

1

Draw a picture of a fast hockey player using pointy or curvy lines to show motion. Which did you use and why?

2

Decorate a mitten shape with three different kinds of lines inside it.

3

Is the letter J symmetrical? Explain.

4

Look at the front of your home or your school. Is it symmetrical? What tells you?

5

How does a diagonal line feel different from a horizontal line in a picture?

Challenge

1

Draw half of a building on one side of a fold line. Ask a grown-up to draw the matching half. Did it come out symmetrical? How do you know?

2

In birchbark biting, why does the design come out symmetrical?

3

You want a picture of a calm winter evening. Which lines would you choose, and why?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which line is vertical?

2.

Which line would show a slide at the park?

3.

Curvy lines often show ___.

4.

A shape is symmetrical when ___.

5.

Which is a form?

6.

In birchbark biting, the artist ___.

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students use the elements of design to communicate ideas (D1.3). For line, the focus is horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, lines that show motion (pointy, curvy), and lines inside shapes. For shape and form, the focus is symmetrical shapes and forms (for example, in buildings). Students also explain how artists use these elements (D2.2).

How to help:

  • Go on a symmetry hunt: leaves, butterflies, car fronts, building fronts, faces.
  • Use the words horizontal, vertical, diagonal in daily life ("Hang the picture so it's horizontal").
  • Look at images of birchbark biting from museum or gallery websites with your child, naming the artist and Nation.

Respect note: Birchbark biting is a living Anishinaabe and Cree art form. Encourage inspired by projects (folding and cutting paper) rather than imitating specific designs.

Common difficulties:

  • Mixing up horizontal and vertical. Horizontal = like the horizon. Vertical = standing up tall.
  • Unequal halves. Fold the paper first so there is a clear line of symmetry to work from.