Designed by: Colette Dryden, Satchel Ford Elementary School

1)  Core Curriculum Objective: Use manipulatives to create tessellations.  3PF1-8

Grade Level: Three          Subject: Math

2)  Overview:  Students will use pattern blocks to create tessellations after given several examples from a tessellation web page and discussing what makes a tessellation.  Students will find examples of tessellations in their world.  Students will then use tagboard and construction paper to create their own tessellations.

3)   Focus Question: How can we make tessellations?

4)  Time Frame:  Three 1 hour class periods

5)  Resources/Materials

Pattern Blocks

Tag board

     www.rialto.k12.ca.us/frisbie/coyote/math/tess/sea.world.tess.html

M.C. Escher posters (optional)

Construction paper

Scissors

Glue sticks

Overhead

Overhead pattern blocks

Tessellation Teaching Masters by Dale Seymour (optional)

6)  Culminating Assessment: Students will create a tessellation by cutting a shape from tag board, tracing it on colored construction paper, cutting the construction paper shapes, and gluing the shapes to form the tessellation of their design.  The teacher will use the following rubric to score the tessellation.

Tessellation Rubric

7)  Instructional Activities:

Activity One:  (Students should have had prior experience with pattern blocks and patterns.)  Ask the students to define a pattern.  Remind students of any previous class lessons regarding patterns.  After discussion, point out several examples in the classroom such as a striped shirt.  Review that a pattern is anything that repeats itself. 

Show students the web site http://www.ladybuglane.com Using AverKeys to show the site on your TV screen helps all students to see the picture. 

Go to the tessellation (or any other one that is appropriate for your class).  Ask the students if this is a pattern.  Discuss what makes it a pattern.  How is it different?  Facilitate the discussion to include the 3 components of a tessellation: (1) there is a clear pattern; (2) there are NO gaps between shapes; (3) there are NO overlaps.  Explain that this is a tessellation.

Have students look around the room for tessellations.  (Tile on the floor, brick wall).  Show several other examples from this web site.

Next, place pattern blocks at the tables for students to use.  (250 pattern blocks…1 bucket… is usually enough for a table of 4 students).  Create a very simple tessellation on the overhead using overhead pattern blocks.  Using only hexagons is a good one to start with.  Have the students copy this one at their desks using the pattern blocks.  Circulate the room and make sure the students understand it must be a pattern with NO gaps and NO overlaps.  Assist any students having difficulty.  Try several more tessellations on the overhead for them to copy.  Increase the difficulty level by including more shapes (hexagons with trapezoids).  Discuss with students whether they think they could make a tessellation with circles.  Tell them that no matter how you place circles, there will always be a gap, so you cannot use circles to create a tessellation.

After students clean up their pattern blocks, ask them to state the 3 components of tessellations.  Tell them that tomorrow they will be creating their own tessellations.

HOMEWORK:  Students are to find three examples of tessellations outside of school.  They should copy them and write down where they found them.

Activity Two: Review the activity from the previous day.  Have the slide show downloaded and ready from http://ousdmail.ousd.k12.ca.us/~webpg131/student/tess.html OR the www.tessellations.com/movies.html depending on your computer and needs.

As the students are observing the tessellations in the slide show, have them point out the pattern, no gaps, and no overlaps in each design.  If you have a M.C. Escher poster, show it to the students and discuss the art.

Have students create their own tessellations with pattern blocks.  Encourage discussion as you walk around the room.  Students can trace the pattern blocks on their paper to record their tessellation.  Have students walk around to other student’s desks to observe the variety of tessellations.  Ask, “Does the design tessellate?”  “How do you know?”

Next, have students cut several shapes from construction paper (they can use pattern blocks to trace or try to create their own…pentagons work well) and manipulate them on their desk to create a tessellation.  Partners can try to create tessellations with each other’s shapes.

Close the activity by leading a discussion about how tessellations can be used in the world.  Discuss how interior designers and artists use them.  Discuss where students found examples from the previous night’s homework.

Activity Three: Students will be assessed using the culminating assessment and rubric.  Some students will create larger tessellations than others will. Post these completed designs on the school web page and in the hall.  Include a sign that says: TESSELLATIONS:  (1) Pattern  (2) No gaps (3) No overlaps  You can decorate the sign with a printed out tessellation from one of the web pages.