- Are there reflections in the poster?
- Did the student focus on one or all of the elements?
- How successful were they?
- Provide students with feedback on their work.
Tessellations
I.SectionObjectives
- Understand the meaning of tessellation.
- Determine whether or not a given shape will tessellate.
- Identify the regular polygons that will tessellate.
- Draw your own tessellation.
II.Cross-curricular-Honeycombs
- Show students the following images of honey combs.
- This is Figure 12.06.01.
- http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cubic_honeycomb.png
- This is Figure 12.06.02
- http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Honey_comb.jpg
- This is Figure 12.07.03
- http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Apis_florea_nest_closeup2.jpg
- Tell students that their task is to create a honeycomb piece of art.
- They can use any shape that will tessellate as they saw with the cubic honeycomb.
- The key is that the honeycomb, according to a Wikipedia definition, is a spacefillingorclose packingof
polyhedral or higher-dimensionalcells,so that there are no gaps. - Students can use any size that they choose and can incorporate color too.
- They will need rulers, pencils, colored pencils or markers, paper and scissors.
III.TechnologyIntegration
- Have students study the work of M.C. Escher who was famous for his tessellations.
- http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._C._Escher
- They can begin with the Wikipedia site, but there are so many other sites to work with as well.
- Have the students select one piece of his work as a favorite piece and share in small groups the elements that
tessellate and how they tessellate. - Conduct a small group discussion on the power of tessellations.
IV.NotesonAssessment
- Assess student honeycombs.
- Were they successful in their tessellations?
- Provide students with feedback on their work.
Symmetry
I.SectionObjectives
3.12. Transformations