An Introduction to Tessellation
A Lesson Plan by:  Shannon d'Hemecourt
Slidell High School
Slidell, Louisiana

Objective: The student will demonstrate their understanding of symmetry, rotation, slide, and flip by incorportating them in their own tessalation.

Benchmarks: G3, G4, G5

Time Frame:  4 days

Curriculum Integration:  Art
                                                History
                                                Computer Technology

Materials: 8.5 x 11 inch drawing paper
                    Graph paper
                    Straight Edge
                    Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
                    Poloroid or Digital Camara
                    Computers with Internet Access and the Paint Program

Prior Knowledge Required: Students should have prior experience surfing the web.
 

Opportunities for Assessment:     List of tesselation names
                                                              Paper and pencil tesselations
                                                              Computerized tesselations
                                                               Picture of school wide tesselations

Lesson Procedure: Day 1- Students will log onto the Internet and goto   http://www.WorldOfEscher.com/ .  The students will fill out a teacher made worksheet at this site detailing the life and work of  M.C. Escher.  From this site the student will search the Internet for pictures of Escher's tessalations.  One web page they will refer to is   http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/3828/backgrounds.html  The students will keep a list of the names of each picture found in the word processor.  Each student will visit http://forum.swarthmore.edu/sum95/suzanne/whattess.html and for instructions on creating their own tessalation's with paper and pencil.

Day 2- The students will receive a hard copy of the tessalation's instructions.  Student groups of three will follow the instructions and create their own tessalation.

Day 3- The students will log onto the Internet and goto the site    http://www.wsd1.winnipeg.mb.ca/bitsbytes/9798/bboct97/default.htm#STORY4 .  This site will give students detailed indtructions for creating a tessellation with the Paint Program.  The Student will create and print their tessalation.

Day 4-  Students will take a walk around the school and take pictures of tesselations used in and around the school building.

 Attachment-               Worksheet

Use the information from Web Sites to Answer each question.
1.  Why is M.C. Eschers recognized? ________________
2. Where did Escher train for math and science?_______________
3. What is a tessellation?
4. When did Escher die?
5. Where was Escher from?