Can’t Wait to
Tessellate!
Mrs. Knowlton, Art Teacher
Tara Elementary School
Bradenton, Florida
By the end of this lesson,
you will be able to make
your own tessellation
pattern to create an
amazing tessellation.
Tessellation – a
repeating pattern of
closed shapes that
covers a surface with
no gaps and no
overlaps.
The word tessellation comes from
the root word, tesserae, which
means tile. Many mosaic tile
installations are tessellations.
M.C. Escher is the
most famous
tessellation artist.
He was born in the
Netherlands in1898 and
he lived until 1972.
His father was a civil engineer who wanted his
son to be an architect.
Escher loved to draw and was fascinated by
the mathematical patterns in the world.
Escher knew that only a regular polygon
like the
Square
Triangle
Hexagon
could be tessellated.
He made his tessellations
by working with these basic shapes.
Translation (slide) –
A movement of a shape to a new position
along a straight line
Translation (slide) –
A movement of a shape to a new position
along a straight line
Translation (slide) –
A movement of a shape to a new position
along a straight line
Translation (slide) –
A movement of a shape to a new position
along a straight line
Reflection (flip) –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
flipping the shape over a line
Reflection (flip) –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
flipping the shape over a line
Reflection (flip) –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
flipping the shape over a line
Reflection (flip) –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
flipping the shape over a line
Rotation –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
moving the shape around a point.
Rotation –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
moving the shape around a point.
Rotation –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
moving the shape around a point.
Rotation –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
moving the shape around a point.
Rotation –
A movement of a shape to a new position by
moving the shape around a point.
Transformation –
The movement of a shape by translation,
reflection or rotation
Transformation –
The movement of a shape by translation,
reflection or rotation
Transformation –
The movement of a shape by translation,
reflection or rotation.
Transformation –
The movement of a shape by translation,
reflection or rotation
Transformation –
The movement of a shape by translation,
reflection or rotation
Now, let’s discover
how to make
your own
tessellating shape!
Start with a regular polygon, like a square
(it could also be a triangle, hexagon, or octagon)
Start with a regular polygon, like a square.
Draw a line on the side of the square.
Start with a regular polygon, like a square.
Draw a line on the side of the square.
Then cut out the shape, translate and tape the
shape to the other side of the square.
Here is your tessellating shape.
Now it is time to imagine what
you have created.
Maybe it’s a fish
Now it is time to imagine
what you have created.
The fish becomes a school of fish!
Now imagine another idea with the same
tessellating shape.
Maybe it’s a ….!
Now imagine another idea with the same
tessellating shape.
Maybe it’s a ….!
Now imagine another idea with the same
tessellating shape.
Maybe it’s a ….!
Now imagine another idea with the same
tessellating shape.
Maybe it’s a Kitten!
Which becomes a whole litter of kittens!
Practice with your team.
1’s Draw the line on one side of the square.
2’s Cut the shape out carefully.
3’s Translate it and tape it to the other side
of the square.
4’s What can it be? Share with the class.
Let’s
Tessellate!
Now it is time to make your
own tessellating shape just
like you did with your team.
Trace the shape and fill your paper
with no gaps or overlaps.
Remember, you can make a
transformation by translating,
reflecting, or rotating your shape.
Decide what your shape can be.
Add details to it, repeating them
in all the shapes you trace.
Add color to make your
tessellation come to life.
Repeating color patterns
look best.