More tessellating shapes

More tessellating shapes

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about identifying regular tessellations.

How to do this task
In this task you will be investigating whether the shapes below tessellate. A shape tessellates if many of that shape can be put together so that they cover a complete area without any gaps.

  • Cut out each set of shapes from the 'Shapes Pages'.
  • Use each set of shapes to show how each shape tessellates.
  • Cellotape or glue each tessellation onto paper.
  • In the box below, circle YES if the shape can tessellate or NO if it cannot.

Shape

Tessellate
(Yes / No)

  

 
 YES  /   NO
 
 

 
 YES  /   NO
 
 

 
 YES  /   NO

 
 YES  /   NO
 
 

 
 YES  /   NO
 
 
 
 

tessellation-shapes.png

tessellation-shapes-ii.png

Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil, paper, and equipment.
 
Equipment
Shapes Pages, scissors, sheets of paper; cellotape or glue.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Geometry and Measurement, Shape
Keywords: 
tessellations
Description of task: 
In this practical task, students cut out regular polygons and decide whether that shape will tessellate.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Geometric thinking, sets 4-5
within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 

2 marks (for all 5 correct)
or
1 mark (for 4 correct)
Shape Tessellation (Yes / No)
YES
YES
NO
YES
NO
Next steps: 
Extension
Students could explore semi-regular tessellations using more than one shape,
e.g., hexagons and equilateral triangles with a side length equal to that of the hexagon. 
There are 3 ways of doing this, two of which are mirror images.