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Tessellations

Learning Target: Identify different kinds of tessellations.

Vocabulary:

Vertex: The place in any tessellation where the shapes fit wella round a point. (The point is the vertex.)

Regular Tessellation: A tessellation that is only made of one polygon or shape.

Semi-regular Tessellation: A tessellation that has more than one type of regular polygon that has the same arrangement at every vertex.

Example: Tessellations that are made up of one polygon are called regular tessellations. (below) They are very simple to make. Its vertex measures are 360°.

This is a semi-regular tessellation, (below), because it uses two shapes: hexagons and triangles. It's angle measures are also 360°.

FOR A GROUP OF SHAPES THAT REPEAT TO BE A TESSELLATION, THE VERTEX INTERIOR ANGLES MUST BE 360°!!!! Because of that rule, pentagons, heptagons, and octogons will not work.

M. C. Escher creates tessellations with shapes. (Below) (Remember the "photo of the week" with the pictures of bats and angles?)