Lesson Plan
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Regular Tessellations

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site contains a lesson plan on tessellations. There is a link to the NCTM standards that fit this lesson and a link to an applet that is useful to both teacher and student.
Activity
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: What Is a Tessellation?

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
The Math Forum defines and illustrates geometric tessellation.
Activity
Other

Center for Technology and Teacher Education:exploring and Creating Tessellations

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site is a Geometer's Sketch Pad lesson plan where students explore tessellations through reflections, rotations, and translations.
Unit Plan
Cool Math

Coolmath: Coolmath4kids: Tessellations

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Tessellations are explained and described at this website. Three basic rules are given for creating tessellations.
eBook
Mathigon

Mathigon: Geometry: Polygons and Polyhedra: Tessellations

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson focuses on tessellations, a tessellation is a geometric pattern that covers a surface without gaps or overlaps. They can be seen everywhere in nature such as a honeycomb or a tortoise shell.
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Illustrative Mathematics: G Mg, a Ced Regular Tessellations of the Plane

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This task examines the ways in which a plane can be covered by regular polygons in a regular tessellation arrangement. The problem uses the formula for the measure of the interior angles of a regular polygon and the goal of the task is...
Handout
Other

Porcelai Nia: Tessela

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Tessellated geometric patterns in art are discussed and illustrated in this resource.
Handout
University of St. Andrews (UK)

University of St. Andrews: Wilhelm Magnus

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, provided by the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, gives a biography of Wilhelm Magnus. Many interesting links are provided as well.
Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Geometry: Symmetry and Tessellations Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Provides a brief overview of the different types of symmetry and of how to tessellate a shape.
Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc Skillswise: Shapes: 2 D Shapes

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Learn how to recognize 2d shapes.
Handout
Cool Math

Coolmath: What Are Tessellations?

For Students 6th - 8th
A resource describing tessellations with definitions and examples.
Interactive
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Nctm: Illuminations: Dynamic Paper

For Students Pre-K - 1st Standards
Need a pentagonal pyramid that's six inches tall? Or a number line that goes from -18 to 32 by 5's? You can create all those things and more.
Interactive
Shodor Education Foundation

Shodor Interactivate: Floor Tiles

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Build a "floor tile" by dragging the corners of a quadrilateral. Learn about tessellation of quadrilateral figures when the shape you built is tiled over an area.
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OER Commons

Oer Commons: Gallery Problems Exercise

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students who have a clear understanding of the previous lessons can work on gallery problems of their choosing. This can be used as a good review or assessment.
Activity
Wolfram Research

Wolfram Math World: Semiregular Tessellations

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
This one page Mathworld site has a number of examples of semiregular tessellations. A definition and a small amount of related information is given at the bottom of the page.
Activity
Math Cats

Math Cats: Visit Tessellation Town on Tile Island!

For Students Pre-K - 1st Standards
Go to Tessellation Town on Tile Island and create a variety of tessellations.
Activity
Other

Paper Mosaics

For Students 9th - 10th
A unique combination of origami paper folding and mathematical tessellations create these stunning works of art. Definitely not for the beginning paper folder to try! Site includes printable patterns.
Unit Plan
Instituto Latinoamericano de la Comunicacion Educativa

Red Escolar: Vertices Escondidos

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
In Spanish. This is a basic introduction to tessellation and various learning activities dealing with tessellations.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Tesselations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is a visual instruction of tessellations. It displays a variety of tessellations throughout the world and in different cultures.
Activity
Math Is Fun

Math Is Fun: Tessellation Artist

For Students 3rd - 8th
Students will have fun making tessellations in this activity, which they can then print out.
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University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Nrich: Building Stars

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive activity gives you an opportunity to color in a tessellation that is different from the usual. Read the short introduction to find out more about this tessellation that doesn't repeat.
Interactive
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Nrich: Shapely Tiling

For Students Pre-K - 1st
On this one page interactive website expand your logic, Motion Geometry and pattern recognition knowledge while working on this challenge. The solution is available to double check your solution.
Activity
University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge: Nrich: Tessellating Triangles

For Students 3rd - 8th
The challenge at this one page website, involves tessellation and triangle. Should you accept this challenge, you will find helpful teacher notes and the solution available right at the website.
Activity
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Nctm: Figure This: Envelopes

For Students 3rd - 6th Standards
Explore tessellations with real world applications in this activity from the NCTM Math Challenges for Families series. Figure out what shape you would use to create a legal envelope from a single sheet of paper. Then discover how...