For a very basic hands-on lesson in parallel lines, have students use a ruler to create a straight line. Then, turn the ruler perpendicular to the line and measure down one inch and make dot. Students then move down the line and make another dot one inch below the first line. When both dots are marked, turn the ruler parallel again and line up the dots along the edge of the ruler and draw a line connecting them. The end results will be two parallel lines one inch apart.
Tessellation is an artistic technique that uses the repetition of lines and shapes to create unique patterns. You can use parallel lines to create basic tessellation patterns. Start with a series of horizontal or vertical lines. The easiest way to do this is with basic notebook paper; simply use a pencil or pen to trace over the lines on the paper. Then create another series of parallel lines going in a different direction than the first lines. Remember, parallel lines don’t always have to be straight lines, just lines that never meet. Experiment with squiggly lines or jagged lines, too.
The real world is full of examples of parallel lines, from train tracks to lines on the highway, it is necessary that some lines never touch. Have students draw images of parallel lines that they have noticed in the real world. When they are done, you can share good examples with other students to show the application of parallel lines in the real world.
There is a simple kids’ game called dots, which uses a grid of evenly spaced dots as the playing surface. Create this type of grid and make it five dots high and five dots wide. Ask students connect the dots so that they create parallel lines that go in four different directions: horizontal, vertical, diagonal to the left and diagonal to the right. In this exercise, they will be creating their own parallel lines without a ruler and making a tessellated image at the same time.