The Ultimate Tessellation Presentation

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This Presentation includes 145 slides and close to 400 images which teach you and your students everything you need to know to create amazing looking tessellations. I started this presentation years ago when I taught 1st through 5th graders how to create tessellations. I’ve since added more ambitious types of tessellations so that middle and high school students are challenged to create higher level ones as well. It is this combination all of my findings over the years and best practices related to tessellation making that has culminated in what is now titled: The Ultimate Tessellation presentation”. This is an all-inclusive look at all things… “tessellation”. It includes how to make eleven different types of tessellations and shows countless examples. It highlights careers for those who use them in everyday life, shows where we find tessellations throughout our world, and discusses the life and work of M.C. Escher and his findings. Below is a breakdown of all of the slides included in the presentation:

Slides 1-3: define what a tessellation is, and common shapes used to make them (square, rectangle, triangle and hexagon). Examples both simple and complex are shown.

Slides 4-9: show numerous careers/jobs that use tessellations such as tile layer, mason, roofer, brick paver, architect, clothing design, and more.

Slides 10-14: show how sports balls (from soccer and volleyball, to footballs, basketballs, and more) use tessellations to cover their surfaces in a regular fashion.

Slides 15-17: look at tessellations found in nature. From honeycombs, and spider-webs, to fish and reptile scales, animals exhibit many types of repeating patterns. Similarly, pineapples, corn, pinecones, sunflowers and more show how the plant world has tessellating shapes as well.

Slides 18-31: discuss the life and art of artist M. C. Escher. You’ll travel to Granada, Spain, visit the Alhambra, and see numerous pictures of its interior that inspired Escher to begin his work with tessellations. Discuss his biography and learn fun facts about Escher, and see his earliest drawings based on the Moorish designs he saw.

Slides 32-46: show plenty of Escher’s tessellations, in a variety of techniques, colors and imagery.

Slides 47-53: show some of Escher’s most famous works which incorporate his tessellations along with his more challenging compositions which show off his amazing drawing ability.

Slides 54-124: make of the bulk of the presentation and show how to make eleven unique types of tessellations. They start with the easiest types and slowly transition into more difficult ones until arriving at the most advanced.

Below are the 11 tessellation types:

1. cut and slide

2. cut and flip / turn

3. single slide

4. double slide

5. staggered double slide

6. diagonal slide

7. square rotation

8. triangle rotation

9. hexagon slide

10. hexagon rotation

11. mirror tessellations

Each type is clearly illustrated with step by step directions, and includes variations of these basic approaches. Numerous visuals help to clarify each type of tessellation, and a variety of media are used in each example which provide ideas for how to artistically bring your ideas to life. You’ll learn how to tessellate a variety of shapes, by sliding and flipping, rotating and mirroring your motifs.

Slides 125-141: show plenty of other unique shapes that tessellate regularly. They are meant to show other possibilities not considered, and to inspire more advanced ideas for your tessellations.

Slides 142-145: look at plenty of semi-regular tessellations (those that incorporate more than one shape). Understanding these types of tessellation will help you to create other unique shapes that will also tessellate.

If you like tessellations, I know you and your students will enjoy this “Ultimate tessellation Presentation” and will soon be making your own tessellation masterpieces. I trust you’ll love it as much as I do. Thanks, and enjoy!

-Bo (The Art Guru)