Exploring Tessellation Worksheet printable pdf download

Maths through Hampton Court Palace

Lesson 4: Exploring tesselation

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

RESOURCES:

1. Examine tessellating patterns around

1. PowerPoint “Find the tessellating pattern”

the palace.

2. Worksheet “Do they tessellate?”

2. Consider which shapes tessellate.

3. Worksheets “Shapes with marks for the

3. Design a tessellating pattern to

lines of symmetry”

decorate the floor of Henry’s new palace.

4. PowerPoint “Shapes with marks for the

lines of symmetry”

ACTIVITY:

Explain the concept of tessellating shapes.

Look together at slides 1-4 of the PowerPoint. How many tessellating patterns can the

children spot?

Give groups of children one shape from the worksheet “Do they tessellate?” Children

hypothesise as to whether the shape will tessellate. Record their hypotheses. Now give

sufficient shapes for them to test out their hypothesis. Were they correct? (See examples to

illustrate this activity.)

Each group of children teaches the other groups what they have learnt about their shape.

They discuss their hypothesis - why they thought they would/would not tessellate and

whether they were correct.

Children are going to design a tessellating pattern to decorate the floor of Henry VIII’s

palace. Explain how every tile has to have the same pattern and, in order for the pattern to

fit together, we need to mark where the lines of symmetry meet the edges. Look together

at the PowerPoint “Shapes with marks for the lines of symmetry” to explain. Explain that

the simpler designs are probably going to be more effective. Try not to have too many lines

crossing each other.

Children choose a shape for their tile, (hexagon, triangle or square) and experiment with

different designs – just in pencil lines at this stage.

Once the children are happy with their design, they should duplicate that design and colour

in one of their tiles.

QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP THINKING:

What colours would have been used to decorate tiles in Henry VIII’s palace?

VOCABULARY:

Hexagon, kite, pattern, tessellating

Hampton Court Palace and St John the Baptist Church of England Junior School

Exploring Tessellation Worksheet