While some students will understand tessellation production immediately; others need more of a visual aid to get them started. In the Lone Eagles Tessellations WebQuest, students will learn about the background of this form, as well as some famous individuals in the field. They will find out what the five main types of tessellations are, as well as what types of figures can be used to tessellate a plane.
Another option for the students to explore is the Bethlehem School District's Tessellation WebQuest. By the end of this WebQuest, the students will understand the relationship that exists between tessellations and mathematics through creating their own tessellation.
In many math classes, the students are given freedom to create a tessellation in any manner that they choose, as long as the design follows the definition of a tessellation. Another option is to ask students to find a source of inspiration for her tessellation. Have each student work on a tessellation for homework and then explain his inspiration for the tessellation to the rest of the class. Hang the tessellations around the classroom.
Work with the students' art teacher or assign this project in an art class to strengthen the interdisciplinary ties that already exist between tessellations and the arts. Some suggestions for incorporating more art elements into this project include requiring the students to use rotation and translation or reflection, asking them to look to M.C. Escher as a source of inspiration, using a specific design pattern or using other art principles such as color and/or balance.
You may want to offer a research project for the students in the classroom who are not artistically inclined. Have them conduct research on the Internet and in the library to create a research paper and/or presentation to give in front of the classroom. Possible research topics include the art of M.C. Escher and his influence on tessellations, tessellations in science or the history of tessellations and the development of their role in mathematics classes.