Lesson Plan Format to Follow:

Teachers Names: Jordanne Harpster, Reagan Bachour, Sarah Braun, Trish Usami
Art Lesson Title: Tessellations!
Grade/age Level: Fifth Grade/11 years old
Rationale/ Goals: Why are we teaching this? Why is it important and how can students connect
with it?
This is a fun and creative way to teach geometry concepts like slides, rotations, and flips applied
to different shapes. Tessellations can be seen in designs all around students, like patterns in
tiles or on articles of clothing, such as a houndstooth patterned skirt. Tessellations, or patterns
that look like tessellations, also appear in nature like in the honeycomb. This lesson is preparing
them for what they are going to see in the next years to come. Tessellations are a basic
geometric concept and can introduce students to how shapes can fit together.
Standards/Objectives/Assessments:
Standards

Objectives

Assessments

Math Standards:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF
.A.1
Add and subtract fractions
with unlike denominators
(including mixed numbers) by
replacing given fractions with
equivalent fractions in such a
way as to produce an
equivalent sum or difference
of fractions with like
denominators. For example,
2/3 + 5/4 = 8/12 + 15/12 =
23/12. (In general, a/b + c/d =
(ad + bc)/bd.)

- Students will be able to

identify smaller geometric
figures within a larger
geometric figure: pattern (or
larger whole). For example, a
hexagon consists of six
triangles. Each triangle is
of the hexagon.

Formal:
-Worksheet to assist during
the geometric pattern block
tessellation creation and
practicing adding and
subtracting fractions
-Geometric block
tessellations
Informal:
-Teachers observe students
geometric block tessellations
and ask them questions
about them related to
fractions.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.G.
B.3
Understand that attributes
belonging to a category of
two-dimensional figures also
belong to all subcategories of
that category. For example,
all rectangles have four right
angles and squares are
rectangles, so all squares
have four right angles.

-Students will be able to

identify parts of a whole in
their tessellation figures.

Informal:
-Teachers will walk around
and show students parts of a
whole

-Students will be able to

compare and contrast their
tessellations to discover twodimensional similarities
between figures.

Formal:
-Students will conduct a
reflection activity to discuss
and display parts of a whole.

Art Standards:
VA:Cr1.1
Generate and conceptualize
artistic ideas and work.

Students will be able to

connect the ideas of M. C.
Escher with the geometric
designs of tessellations.

Informal:
-Discussion on how
tessellations appear in many
forms- not only in art, but also
in everyday environments.

VA:Cr1.1.5
Combine ideas to generate
an innovative idea for artmaking.

Students will be able to

create their own tessellations
based on their observations
of tessellations in their
environment.

Formal:
-The students final
tessellation print

Key Concepts: tessellate, slide, rotate, pattern, tiling, symmetry, space, shape, plane, area,

fractions
Lesson Sequence:
1. Preparatory Work: Three tables will be used. There will be two tables of three children and one
table of four children. Each table will have the necessary supplies for each student, which
includes paper, scissors, index cards, markers, geometric pattern blocks, and the worksheets.
2. Warm-Up Activity: Students will remove shoes before going on dance floor. Have the students
go on the dance floor and form a circle. The teachers will then introduce themselves. Then,
introduce the concepts of reflection (flip), rotation (turn), and translation (slide). These are all
examples of transformations. Have the students form a line. Play Simon Says with each
concept.
3. Have the students move to their designated tables. Jordanne will divide students and give
students a designated color that will correspond to a designated table. Introduce M. C. Escher
on the SmartBoard. Use the previous activity to demonstrate how M. C. Escher transformed
shapes around his canvas.
4. Discuss with the students tessellations found around the room or in their own environments.
5. Show the students how one can form various shapes with the geometric blocks. Have them
experiment how the same shape can be duplicated to make one larger, different shape. Have
them use the pattern blocks to understand how patterns can be repeated within one larger
object. The teachers will walk around as the children experiment to observe and show the
students how certain shapes relate to the larger whole, which is the primary concept concerning
fractions.
6. Weve given you shapes to make tessellations with. Now we want you to make up your own
shapes to make your own, unique tessellations! Demonstrate how the students will be creating
tessellations with the index cards as a sequenced process. To make the index cards into a
shape that can tessellate, cut a pattern along one edge of the index card and translate the cut
over to the smooth edge opposite without flipping or rotating the cut. Tape in place. To make the
tessellation on paper, trace around your index card, making sure each time you place the index
card on the paper, it fits perfectly in with the last tracing. Show finished examples. Assist
students as they create their tessellations.
7. Closing Activity: Have the students share their tessellations with the other students at their table.
Have the students compare and contrast with their peers with a quick TAG session. Then, the

students will conduct a walkabout where they post their pictures on the wall and are given a
sticky note. The students must walk around and write a noteworthy comment relating to the
standards we talked about during the presentation and tag the picture with their comment.
Then, have a discussion with the students as a whole class showing how something artistic can
be based on mathematical principles. This occurs not only in artwork, but also in nature.
Materials: paper, geometric pattern blocks, index cards, scissors, tape, examples of
tessellations by famous artists, colored pencils, sticky notes, markers, and crayons

Presentation Schedule:
1.) Prep Work- Jordanne

-get students in, seated, separated, and to the dance floor

-3 kids at 2 tables, 4 at one table
2.) Warm-up- Trish
-Trish is simon and leads introduction activity, others follow along in the group
-Send students back to their tables
-Have other Clemson students play the game as well
3.) Intro to MC Escher and real-world examples of tessellations- Jordanne
4.) Geometric blocks activity and worksheet- Reagan
-Jordanne will be the walk around
-Trish and Sarah will sit at tables with kids
5.) Create your own tessellation- Sarah
-Lead through the entire activity
6.) Closing- Everyone
-*** have a volunteer put tape on the back of each kids chair and a sticky note next to
their spots as well.
Children:
-Kira
-Asaun
-JT
-Lucas
-Cameron
-Trey
-Ben
-Tana
-Jillian
Number of shapes per student:
Hexagons- 6 (yellow)
Triangles and Diamonds- 10 (greens and blues)

Fraction Tessellation Worksheet

Directions: Make a tessellation (pattern) with the blocks provided. Use each shape at least
once. Do not use more than 20 shapes.
1. a) How many hexagons are in your tessellation? ___________
b) How many triangles does this represent? (Hint: There are 6 triangles in a hexagon.)
Multiply your number of hexagons by 6.) ___________

2. a) How many diamonds are in your tessellation? ___________

b) How many triangles does this represent? (Hint: There are 2 triangles in a diamond.)
Multiply your number of diamonds by 2.) ____________

3. How many triangles are in your tessellation? ____________

4. Fraction:
a) How many triangles are represented by your hexagons? ___________
b) How many total triangles are in your tessellation? (Hint: Add your answers from
questions 1. b), 2. b), and 3.) ___________
c) What fraction of the figure do the hexagons make up? (Hint: The number of triangles
represented by your hexagons is your numerator, and the total number of triangles is
your denominator.) ____________

Teacher Examples:

Samples from PowerPoint: