Exploring Geometry and Art through Tessellations

Abstract

In this lesson, elementary school students explore geometric shapes and tessellations using a Cricut Maker 3. During Part 1 of the activity, students review geometric concepts of regular versus irregular polygons and lines of symmetry. This includes using shapes cut by the Cricut machine to determine which regular polygons form a tessellation when put together. Then students answer reflection questions. During Part 2, there is a discussion about how the artist MC Escher used different types of symmetry (e.g., translations, rotations, and reflections) to modify irregular shapes to create tessellations. In Part 3, students are given materials to prototype their own tessellation using regular and irregular shapes and at least one type of symmetry transformation.