The beauty of the first snowfall of the season is one that delights us. The unique snowflakes that make up the dusting of trees and blanket on the ground is an example of God’s incredible design. Watching a snowflake melt on your mitten allows us a way to see the scientific design in God’s creation.

Lessons from Butterflies and Snowflakes

The symmetry in creation is a way to see God’s physical laws at work.  Symmetry means that an object can be divided into equal parts.  A butterfly’s wings are symmetrical- if you drew a line down the center, both sides of the line would be the same.  This is called bilateral symmetry. A sand dollar has radial symmetry, which is a pattern radiating from a central point.  Symmetrical doesn’t need to be perfect, but balanced. You could cut an orange into several closely-identical pieces, as long as your knife slides through the center.  Even a human face is nearly symmetrical. 

Seeing the Creator’s Hand in Every Snowflake

Snowflakes are water molecules that freeze into a hexagonal pattern. Snowflakes ALWAYS have 6 sides- not 5, not 7, always 6. That means their symmetry is six-sided! A snowflake can rotate six ways to be divided equally. 

A snowflake doesn’t try to form this way; it obeys the laws God made at creation.  Its crystal features cause it to follow a law called the Gestalt Law of Symmetry.

Because of this law, you might think all snowflakes are the same.  Instead, the temperature, humidity, and other conditions under which snowflakes form makes every single one unique.  God created one basic design that allows for countless outcomes!

Snowflakes remind us God’s creation is both ordered and designed with purpose, right down to the smallest detail. His patterns are not just in the symmetry of a snowflake, but throughout nature.  Look around you to see if you can find more of these patterns.  If God put so much intricate design into a snowflake that is temporary, tiny and seasonal, how much more does He care for each of us? 

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"The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands."
~Psalm 19:1

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Easy STEAM Activity: Make a Sixfold Snowflake

Materials:

• Thin, white paper
• Scissors
• Glitter

1.  Start with a square of white paper.  You might need to trim a piece of paper so you begin with a square.  The larger your piece of paper is to begin with, the easier it will be to cut your paper.
2. Fold the square in half diagonally to make a triangle.  Use your finger to make teach fold sharp. Then fold your triangle in half again. 
3. The MOST important step- fold your triangle into thirds by folding the right side over the middle and then the left side over the first fold.  This will create 6 points.
4. Cut the pointed top off at an angle.  The cut designs into your folded edges.  You can use V-shapes, circles, curves, or squares.
5. Open your unique snowflake and decorate with glitter.  By creating several, you can have some pretty window decorations!

Love STEM & STEAM Activities?

We love a good paper-cutting session (even if it means finding bits of white scrap paper under the kitchen table for the next three days!), but we know that high-quality science shouldn’t always feel like a DIY project.

If you’re looking to bring a sense of wonder into your daily school routine without the stress of hunting down lesson plans, our Mystery of Science Lab Manuals are here to help. They are designed to be open-and-go, giving your students a place to record their observations while you enjoy a second cup of coffee.

Check out our student readers and lab manuals to keep the STEM exploration going all year long!