Reflections, Translations,
and Rotations
Materials
- Pencils (1 per student)
- Background sheets, page 151 (1 per student)
- Lion sheets, page 152 (1 per student)
- Scissors (1 per student)
- Tracing paper (1 sheet per student)
- Scotch tape dispenser (for the teacher)
- Glue sticks (1 per student)
- The completed project prepared by the teacher before the lesson (with the traced-half of each image not yet glued)
Introduction
This lesson helps students understand and remember three mathematical terms they might ordinarily find intimidating: reflection, translation, and rotation. In short, they will:
- Trace half of a lion face three times onto tracing paper.
- Cut out each traced image.
- Perform a reflection, translation, or rotation with each traced image.
- Glue each traced image in its appropriate position next to one of the original three half-face photographs.
Before students begin working, the teacher needs to explain the three words using her previously constructed project as a reference. The traced half of each picture must be unattached so that the teacher can demonstrate how “flipping” an image creates a reflection, “sliding” an image creates a translation, and “turning” an image creates a rotation.
