Lesson Plan Template

Developed by: Brianne Arsenault, Student B, Student C, Student D, Student E

Grade level: 3

Universal Design for Learning

Representation
1.1 Offer ways of customizing
the display of information
A handout will be provided at
each station with the
information and directions for
the stations along with visual
aids.
1.2 Offer alternative ways for
auditory information
The directions for each station
will be on the table. A
PowerPoint will be provided as
tessellations and M.C. Escher is
explained.
2.1 Clarify vocabulary and
symbols
Key words such as tessellation
and Escher will be explained. It
will be asked as APK and then
explained in detail.

Lesson Topic: Tessellations

Outcomes
GCO: 3.1.1 explore line, shape and form, space,
colour, value and texture and the principles of pattern
and repetition in the visual environment
PR1: Demonstrate an understanding of
increasing patterns by: describing, extending,
comparing, creating patterns using manipulatives,
diagrams, sounds and actions
SCO: I will be able to make my own patterns using
different materials.
Objective(s) for this lesson: Students will be able to
understand that patterns can be done in various ways
and with various materials.

Introduction
The PowerPoint entitled Tessellations (Appendix
A) will introduce the topic of tessellation by asking
the following question:
What do you know about tessellations?
Write their answers on the board so we can have a
brainstorm of what they know.
We will begin the PowerPoint presentation

2.5 Illustrate through multiple

media
A PowerPoint will be given,
examples of top 10 will be done
so students can see them
3.1 Activate or supply
background knowledge
Students will be informed on
M.C. Escher and his importance
to the idea of tessellations.
3.3 Guide information
processing, visualization, and
manipulation
Each station has an adult
guiding students through. If
there is no adult, the step-bystep directions will be provided.

A slide will explain that tessellations are created

by making a pattern with 2-D patterns. The
patterns cover the whole plane without
gaps/overlaps. There should be no white.

How many types of tessellations are

there?

Begin the slide about the three different types of

tessellations: reflection, rotation, translation
During/Learning Activities

Action and Expression

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Intro
Smartboard
Computer
PowerPoint titled Math and Art
(Appendix A)
Station 1
Appendix B
Piece of paper for each student
Pre-cut shapes
Glue
Station 2
Appendix C
Activity Pattern Blocks (triangles,
squares, hexagons, trapezoids,
and rhombuses)
Station 3
Appendix D
Piece of paper for each student
Index Cards (one for each
student)
Directions for table
Pencils
Pencil Crayons
Tape
Scissors

Can you think of anywhere that you have

seen a tessellation?

Possible answers: beehives, turtle shells,

pineapple etc. In man-made tessellations, we see
them in brick walls, floor tiles, and churches

Required Materials, Tools and

Technology

We then move on to introduce the work of M.C.

Eschers. 1-2 students will be asked to describe (from

Special Concerns
Students who are unable to see
the images on the PowerPoint
can look closer at them after the
presentation, before station
rotations
For station rotation, students
will be at each station for 10-15
minutes. If you run out of time,
it is okay if they only do 2 of the
3 stations.

4.2 Optimize access to tools

and assistive technologies
Each station will have different
types of manipulatives and
different ways to represent
tessellations.
5.2 Use multiple tools for
construction and composition
The use of precut shapes,
pattern blocks, and their
imagination will guide their
learning.
5.3 Build fluencies with
graduated levels of support for
practice and performance
Stations gradually get a little
more difficult. Support will be
given even more towards the
more difficult station as they
will need a little more guidance
6.1 Guide appropriate goalsetting
Students will work towards
reaching the goals presented at
the beginning of the lesson and
be able to answer the
discussion question asked
throughout the presentation
6.3 Facilitate managing
information and resources
Students will be given a certain
amount of time to visit each
station and experience
tessellations in different forms.
6.4 Enhance capacity for
monitoring progress
Students will be given feedback
throughout the activities and
questions will be asked to
reflect on their tessellations.
Engagement

November 25, 2015

their seat or from near the board) what they see in the
images. While looking at the pieces, students should
be thinking about how they were made (material or
method).
- Escher liked to do mental gymnastics, and to play
with our perception (the way we see things)
Waterfall this is an impossible construction.
Is the water running from high to low? Where
is the highest part? How do you know?
Reptiles What is happening in this image?
Sky and Water I This piece of art uses
tessellations. Is there a pattern here? How
did he change from a bird to a fish?
- How do you think Escher made these images? (Take
suggestions). He used woodcuts, where he carved the
image in wood; he used lithographs, where he drew
the image on a piece of rock, and used something to
make some parts hold ink and other parts not; and he
used mezzotints, which is where he scratched the
image into a piece of metal.
- Would these ways be easier or harder than using
paint or a pencil? Why?
- Today we are going to make some art like Eschers.
We are going to make our own tessellations. And like
Escher, we are going to use a few different methods to
make our art
We then move in to stations.
Station 1:
In this station, students will use precut,
simple shapes (squares, triangles, trapezoids,
and octagons) to make their own tessellation
pattern.
It is up to them to choose their shapes and
their colour pattern for the tessellations. We
want their imagination to run free.
Station 2:
Instruct the students to make patterns with
the blocks, making certain that they leave no
gaps or spaces. After each student or group
of students has a pattern, have all of the
students look at each others at the table.
Discuss the patterns. Discuss the
relationships between the blocks
Questions to consider: Which shapes fit
together easily? Which shapes don't seem to
fit with the others? Which patterns could be
repeated over and over again in the plane?
What shapes fit together making a pattern
using only one type of block?

Have one person per station, or

the adult, to gather materials for
this station so that we use time
adequately.
Because students are working
with scissors in one of the
stations, make sure there is
extra observation with that
station until the use of scissors is
done.

Differentiation
Have students describe what
they see as they are looking at
the images on the power point.
By having different types of
stations, we are appealing to
most of our students. Some of
the stations are easier than
others while some are more
challenging. No one is being held
back because they eventually
get to the station where they
get to make their own. If they
are more advanced, they may be
more creative. If the student
wants to do something simpler,
they are able to do so as well.
The more difficult station will
have the directions printed on a
piece of paper so that students
can refer to something visually,
and not just in an auditory
fashion.

In-Class Support
Because of the amount of help
that we have in the class, there
can be one adult at each station.
If you have less, have adults
supervising and rotating stations
so that students are able to ask
questions and that there is
maximum observation being
done.

7.1 Optimize individual choice

and autonomy
The activities planned will help
students reach the goal of
learning about tessellations
because they will be able to
create it themselves in a variety
of ways.
7.2 Optimize relevance, value,
authenticity
At the closure of the class, it will
be discussed how tessellations
are seen in everyday life and in
art.
7.3 Minimize threats and
distractions
Students will be focused on
their task and separated into
groups for their tessellation
activities. An adult will be at
each station.
8.1 Heighten salience of goals
and objectives
C4U will be frequently used
throughout the class and an
instruction sheet will be at each
station during the activities.
8.3 Foster Collaboration and
community
Students will be able to work
together and discuss their
tessellations at each station.
8.4 Increase mastery-oriented
feedback
Students will be given
constructive feedback and
encouraged during their
activities at each station.
9.1 Promote expectations and
beliefs that optimize
motivation
Students will be able to set the
goal of how they want their
tessellation to look before the
10-15 minutes is up at each
tessellation station.
9.3 Develop self-assessment
and reflection
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Station 3: Students will be practicing how to make

their own tessellations. Appendix B can be put at the
station for visual assistance.

Each student will be given half of an index

card and a sheet of paper to begin.
On the index card the students will be
instructed to write the word PART in the
corners of the card. For example the letter
P will be placed in the top left corner, the
letter A will be placed in the top right
corner, the letter R will be placed in the
bottom left corner and the letter T will be
placed in the bottom right corner.
Next the students will be instructed to draw a
random line in the middle of the card from
right to left.
Next the students will draw another random
line, from top to bottom. (There is no
limitation to how these lines look, just as long
as they go from one end of the card to the
other).
The students will then cut out the shapes on
the lines they drew.
The students will then put the pieces
together so the corners are in the middle and
spell out the word TRAP.
After this is done, the students will tape the
pieces together. They have created their
shape that they will tessellate with.
For the final step, the students will trace the
shape that they have just made with a pencil
on a sheet of paper. The students will try and
see how many times they can trace the shape
on that single piece of paper without any
overlapping. The goal will be to fill up the
page with a pattern of the shape they
created.
If there is any time remaining after the
students have finished their tessellations,
there will be pencil crayons provided so they
can color them.

Assessment (formative/summative)
Formative assessment for this lesson will be to see the
accuracy of their own tessellations. Will they follow
the single shape pattern, zero space, full plane
coverage etc.

Cross-curricular Connections
Through this lesson, students
will touch on both math and art
(and a bit of art history)
simultaneously. The curricular
outcomes, for both subjects, are
listed under the outcome
section.

Students will be asked to reflect

on their tessellations and think
about what they could do to
change it or if they have met all
the elements of a tessellation.

Closure
Closure
To finish, we want to reiterate how often we see
tessellations in the real world and in art. Ask the
students the following question:

November 25, 2015

How do you think that math was

incorporated in to this?