Show kids the beauty of hexagons in the environment while teaching about this interesting six-sided shape. While it is easy to recognize shapes such as a circle, square, triangle, crescent, and star in the environment, teachers may be challenged to find ways to teach about hexagons that may help children remember this amazing shape and its unique appearance in nature.
Honeycombs Have a Hexagonal Shape
Honey bee hives have multiple hexagonal cells. According to an Orkin web site’s article entitled “How do honeybees make hives?” this shape is very practical to the bees because it does not take as much wax and enables the bees to store more honey. Bees construct a hive by chewing wax. Once the wax becomes soft, the bees can then create their honeycomb, in which they may store:
Many Turtle Shells Have Hexagon Markings
According to a Pet Education web site online article entitled “Interesting Facts about Turtles and Tortoises,” a turtle’s shell is actually a fusion of sixty bones. The top part of the shell that is shaped like a dome has hexagonal shapes in many species of turtles and is called the carapace, while the part under the tortoise’s body is called the plastron. A turtle’s shell provides protection and has nerve endings.
Turtles vary greatly in size. A bog turtle might be a mere four inches long while a leathery turtle may weigh 1500 pounds. Some turtle shells also have special features. For example, the pancake tortoise’s shell can flatten and expand, which allows it to fit into tight spaces and then puff up so that predators cannot get to them.
Symmetrical Six-Sided Snowflakes Make Hexagon Shape
According to a Scissor Crafts for Children web site article entitled “Brief Science Guide to Snow Crystals and Snowflakes for Young Children,” snowflakes are a combination of snow crystals involving from two to hundreds of snow crystals. They are often hexagonal and symmetrical in shape but may be various shapes, depending on:
- Movement and moisture of the air
- The amount of water and solid particles in the air
- Speed of the wind and of the falling crystals
- Other factors
Wilson Bentley was a famous snowflake pioneer, scientist, and expert who was the first to capture the beauty of an individual snowflake on film. He did not find any two snowflakes that were alike after painstakingly photographing over 5,000 snowflakes.
Giant’s Causeway Has Natural Hexagonal Shaped Rocks
According to the Geographia web site’s article entitled “The Giant’s Causeway,” Northern Ireland is home to a most interesting natural phenomenon. The Giant’s Causeway, located between Bushmills and Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, contains numerous columns made of basalt primarily in hexagonal shapes that lie next to the sea.
Some of the stone formations have names, including:
- Honeycomb
- Wishing Well
- Giant’s Granny
- King and His Nobles
Saturn’s North Pole Has Out of This World Hexagon
According to NASA’s online article entitled “Spinning Saturn,” a movie of the north pole of Saturn reveals an interesting phenomenon. A hexagonal wave feature emerges as the haze and clouds spin at Saturn’s north pole. The infrared pictures capturing this rotating shape were taken on November 10, 2006 from NASA’s Cassini Orbitor.
Natural Hexagons Provide Great Learning Opportunity for Children
Although rather complex in design, the hexagon’s beautiful and unique features can be found in numerous natural settings, including bee hives, turtle shells, snowflakes, rocks, and even clouds on another planet. Although not as prevalent as some of the simpler shapes, the hexagon design can serve a unique purpose in the natural environment and lends itself well to teaching about animals, geography, and other practical educational topics. Teachers may also encourage kids to find man-made hexagons in the environment for a challenge.
Readers may also wish to read about:
- Loggerhead Turtles at Hunting Island
- Circles in Nature and Beyond – Fun Ways to Teach Round Shape
- Hearts in Nature – Great Ideas for Finding a Natural Heart Shape
- Tips to Avoid a Power Struggle with a Sick Child
- American Flag Facts
- Express Love for Kids with Backpack Notes
Katrena Wells - Katrena Wells is a RN in NC with 17 1/2 years of experience in oncology, an educator since 1995, and has taught exercise classes since ...
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