EXPLORING TESSELLATIONS Exploratorium（探索镶嵌探索）.pdf

Activities | Grades 6–8 /geometryplayground/activities EXPLORING TESSELLATIONS Background: What is a tessellation? A tessellation is any pattern made of repeating shapes that covers a surface completely without overlapping or leaving any gaps. A checkerboard is a tessellation made of squares. The squares meet edge to edge with no gaps and no overlapping areas. The pattern of bricks on a wall is a tessellation made of rectangles. Over 2,200 years ago, ancient Greeks were decorating their homes with tessellations, making elaborate mosaics from tiny, square tiles. Early Persian and Islamic artists also created spectacular tessellating designs. More recently, the Dutch artist M. C. Escher used tessellation to create enchanting patterns of interlocking creatures, such as birds and fish. Making tessellations combines the creativity of an art project with the challenge of solving a puzzle. Part One: Making a Translation Tessellation [45 minutes] Suppose you wanted to cover a floor with tiles. You could cover it with square tiles, since squares fit together without leaving any gaps. In this activity, you’re going to transform a rectangle into a more interesting shape, then make a tessellation by repeating that shape over and over again. EXPLORING TESSELLATIONS | Grades 6–8 Page 1 Materials: • Index card 3 x 5 • Ruler • Scissors • Blank paper • Pencil • Transparent tape • Colored markers or pens • 2.5 x 3 Grid paper (included) • Optional: Printed example of a tessellation to show students before starting activity. (Possibly from the online M. C. Escher gallery at: /Gallery/gallery-recogn.htm) Try This: Step 1 Cut an index card in half, creating a 2.5 x 3 r