This chart will be useful for students to refer back to later. Create a chart as you work, recording the types of patterns possible when different types of tiles are used.There are many possibilities for designs so encourage exploration and allow time for discussion and experimentation. Encourage students to create a variety of different coloured patterns that can then be repeated to produce a tessellation.What about green squares with yellow dominoes and orange dominoes? What patterns can you make using red squares and white squares along with blue dominoes? Now go back to squares and dominoes and introduce different colours.Now experiment with squares only but using more than one colour.What patterns can be made using dominoes and squares that all have same colour? Increase the complexity of designs as you work. Students can use squares and dominoes made from card to experiment with possible tessellations, comparing results and describing and discussing the different patterns produced.Over the next two to three sessions lead your students through a variety of tiling explorations involving more than one shape and more than one colour. Clearly then you can put strips together to cover the whole of (plane) space. For instance, by alternating the same triangle shape up and down, you can tile a parallel strip. As they work reinforce the ideas that all of the space must be covered and that it is often easier to do this if there is a pattern to the tessellation.Will triangles tessellate? Why/why not? (Try it out.) Which shapes fit together to cover the surface? As they work, develop their ideas with questioning Give the students a range of mosaic shapes and allow them time to experiment with creating their own tessellating patterns using only one shape at a time.Reinforce the ideas that all of the designs displayed cover all the space with no gaps remaining uncovered and each design consists of a regular repetition of one or more design elements.What shape/shapes have been repeated to create the tessellations?

What colours are used in the designs? How are patterns created using colour? What shapes are used together to cover the space? What shapes are the tiles in the designs?

Place the brochures around the room and allow students time to browse.

Ensure that they know that a tiling/tessellation means that all of the wall area is to be covered. Explain that you have been to a tiling shop and got some brochures for ideas and you would like the students to help you explore possible design ideas.

Introduce the concept of tiling by explaining that you are renovating your bathroom and want to make one of the walls interesting by creating a tile pattern.

In the first part of this unit we look at the idea of tessellations and use one design element to make a tessellation.

Easy math tessellation