Curated OER
Polar and Cartesian Coordinates
Students review polar coordinates, as well as translations and rotations in Cartesian Coordinates. They also watch a video on conics and write a summary of the video for a quiz grade. Students then find an equation after a...
Curated OER
Symmetry
Sixth graders explore symmetry and discuss the difference between a rotation and reflection. Using hands-on activities, such as folding paper shapes, they discover how to find the lines of symmetry and symmetrical characteristics. As a...
Curated OER
Translation
Tenth graders identify and interpret vocabulary terms as they relate to vectors. Students practice translations by creating several tessellations. Students determine the direction and distance using vectors. Students use grid paper to...
Curated OER
Moving in Outer Space
Students participate in a lesson that demonstrates the concepts of rotation and revolution as they pertain to the Sun, the moon, and the Earth. They examine the relative sizes of each. They watch a computer based movie at a subscription...
Curated OER
Ring Around the Rosie
Students work together to discover the concept of angular momentum. They participate in experiments in which they test rotation and relate it to an object's mass. They participate in a literacy activity in which they compare mythology...
Curated OER
Exploring the Celestial Neighborhood
Ninth graders study the origin and organization of the solar system. They investigate the Earth's place in the system and how planetary motions explain natural phenomena observable from Earth.
Curated OER
Our Universe: Always Moving, Always Changing
Students explore the main concepts of astronomy through the eleven lessons of this unit. The past, present, and future methods of studying the science are examined in this unit.
Curated OER
Four Square Design
Learners create a computerized design by flipping the same design pattern vertically and horizontally into 4 different squares.
Curated OER
"Use an Anemometer," said the Meteorologist
Students participate in an hands-on construction of an instrument to measure wind speed.
Curated OER
The Planet Earth
Students explore the planet Earth, outer space, and Earth's axis. They demonstrate reading comprehension skills, including literal meaning, inference and critical analysis.
Government of Alberta
Learn Alberta: Math Interactives: Exploring Transformations
This multimedia Learn Alberta math resource looks at real world examples of transformations found throughout West Edmonton Mall. The accompanying interactive component asks students to predict transformations through looking at...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Defining Rotations
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] In this tutorial, students learn about the rules that operate in the rotation of 2-D figures on a coordinate grid. Includes video, lots of examples, review...
Utah Education Network
Uen: As the World Turns
Third graders use their bodies to act out the motions of earth.
Shodor Education Foundation
Shodor Interactivate: Transformations
This instructional activity shows elementary students how they can know that rigid motions like reflections, rotations, and translations create a shape congruent to the original.
Shodor Education Foundation
Shodor Interactivate: Transmographer
Shodor Education Foundation provides an applet that "allows the user to explore the world of transformations, reflections, and rotations. It allows the user to translate triangles, squares, and parallelograms on both the x and y-axes."
Shodor Education Foundation
Shodor Interactivate: Lesson: Translations, Reflections, and Rotations
Middle schoolers are introduced to translations, reflections, and rotations and how to explore them in real-world scenarios.
Rice University
Rice University: Cynthia Lanius: Dueling Pinwheels (Geometer's Sketchpad)
An introductory look at the interactive Geometer's Sketchpad in terms of using it to explore rotations, translations, and reflections. Only a beginner's amount of skill with the program is needed. Exploration questions are given for the...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: What's the Spin?
Students discover properties of rotations using the TI-89 and CABRI Geometry II by rotating a triangle around a point and through a specified angle. They will discover the definition of a rotation. [Requires Adobe Reader.]
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Traveling Shapes Motion Geometry
In this activity, students describe how to move a shape from one place to another in a plane. They learn about translations, rotations, and line reflections. [Requires Adobe Reader.]
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Rotations in the Coordinate Plane
It is important for students to know what happens to the coordinates of points when they are rotated in the coordinate plane by 90 or 180 degrees, either clockwise or counterclockwise. This activity enables students to use Cabri Jr. to...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Rotations in the Plane With Cabri Jr.
A rotation is a transformation that turns a figure a certain number of degrees about a certain point. This activity explores the properties of rotations and the relationships between the original and image figures.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Lab Activity: Tops
The Illinois Institute of Technology provides a lab activity on precession and spinning tops. Designed for primary grades, but easily adapted for any level. Includes directions and assessment ideas.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Gyroscope
Description of a museum exhibit in which the forces exerted by two gyroscope wheels are analyzed. Excellent demonstration idea.