Symmetry

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Website:  Gallery of M.C. Escher Symmetry Art

Below is an example of one of M.C. Escher's famous prints, titled Bird/Fish (No. 34). Many other similar prints can be seen on this website.

M.C. Escher. (2013, December 31). M.C. Escher Foundation and

The M.C. Escher Company B.V. in Baarn, the Netherlands.

Retrieved from http://www.mcescher.com/gallery/symmetry/

Web Link

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Summary

Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) was a famous graphic artist well known for his "Tessellation Prints". The website I sited above shows his Symmetry collection, where he used the math concept of transformation to develop his tessellation art. A tessellation is created when a shape is repeated over and over again covering a plane without any gaps or overlaps. The different types of transformations--translation, rotation, and reflection--are clearly seen within M.C. Escher's art and, thus, a unique way to teach students about this math topic.

Teaching Idea:  Transmediation

We will begin our lesson as a whole class by observing the Bird/Fish (No. 34) print, as seen above, and located in the Symmetry collection of M.C. Escher. We will discuss the types of transformations-- translation, rotation, reflection--seen in this piece of art. I will present this lesson after my students already have a basic understanding of transformations and coordinate planes as a way to relate this concept to real life. 5th graders need to understand the types of transformations and how they relate to each other on a coordinate plane. By studying the art on M.C. Escher's website, students will be able to see how these math concepts can be used in a real world example, in this case, developing art. The bonus is they are exposed to beautiful and famous art while learning.

Once our class has discussed the Bird/Fish (No. 34) print, I will have them break into pairs and choose one of the other prints from M.C. Escher's Symmetry collection to use during the remainder of the lesson. Working with their partner, students will determine whether M.C. Escher used translation, rotation, reflection, or a combination of these transformations in their chosen piece of art. They will then create a transmediation by choosing how they want to present the information and knowledge they have gained from this piece of art. Perhaps they will choose to develop a poem describing the art and its transformation relationships. They may choose to develop a picture book with labels of the transformations they discovered in their chosen print. Upon completion of their project, each pair will orally present their project and how it expanded their understanding of transformations and how they relate to a coordinate plane.

For those students who want to delve into tessellations further, I will provide an extension to this lesson on how to create a tessellate print, using the step-by-step directions on the website from the art of Julianna Kunstler, included below. Students will be able to design, make, and enjoy their own tessellations, all the while expanding their knowledge of transformations. In addition, I will speak with our campus art teacher to see if she would be willing to collaborate on this subject. The resulting interdiciplinary lesson will enhance our students' creativity and depth of learning. Students would be able to learn the art behind creating tessellation prints at the same time they are learning the math behind tessellations, receiving a full-fledged learning experience on material I would only be able to present as an extension in my classroom without the art teacher's aid. 

Website:  The Art of Julianna Kunstler

This lesson corresponds with Math TEKS 5.1(D), (F); 5.8(A), (B), (C).

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