Tessellation Mania
1. Students begin by viewing Tessellation by M. C. Escher and many other famous artist. Then students look at some created by students.
2. Tessellations can be made on a computer, using programs like Hyperstudio, Kid Pix, or similar drawing programs.
3. Students begin with drawing a perfect square on their screen. Using the Rectangle tool with the shift or ctrl button down usually make the rectangle a square.
4. Using a Lasso type tool, starting in the upper left and down to the lower left, students should create a squiggly pattern through their shape. Then letting go of the mouse button should allow the lasso to totally surround a section of the shape.
5. Students then move that shape to the opposite side of the shape. The same thing is done at the bottom and top. One side is partially removed and placed on the top of the rest of the shape.
6. This new shape is now the tessellation. The whole shape is lassoed, then copied.
7. The copied shape is now pasted against the other, but the color is changed before they are physically together.
8. These two shapes are copied and pasteded together, until the whole screen is filled.
9. This finished picture could be the desktop pattern, a website background pattern, or even printed for a bulletin board.
Alternative Instruction:
· This is the basic Tessellation maker, there are many different types of tessellations out there. These other types of tessellation can be used with those students that understand this well, or need a challenge. Probably good for an older age group, like 4th or 5th grade.