Tessellations are patterns made from repeated designs that cover an area leaving no gaps between them. Tessellations are often used to teach symmetry, geometry and other lessons to children in grades 3-7. Possibly because of the age bracket, animals are among the most common nongeometric subjects to tesselate. Making tessellations is easier if you do not have a preconcieved notion of what type of animal you are going to draw, but it can work with a specific animal. This method of creating tesselations relies on cutting shapes from paper to create a stencil.
Things You'll Need
- 2 sheets of paper
Draw a simple rectangle on one piece of paper. Cut this shape out with scissors.
Draw a wavy line on the bottom of the rectangle. Cut this out. Secure it to the top of the rectangle with tape.
Draw a wavy line on the left side of the rectangle. Cut this edge off, and tape it to the right side of the rectangle. You now have a stencil for your tessellation.
Lay the stencil on a piece of blank paper and trace around it. Use the bottom line from the first shape as the top of the next. Complete a column, then add rows in the same manner. The shapes will fit together and leave no gaps.
Determine what animal you have drawn, and decorate it so it is easily recognizable.