Strategy

Students can:

• identify whether a two-dimensional shape has been translated, reflected or rotated
• construct patterns of two-dimensional shapes that involve translations, reflections and rotations
• predict the next translation, reflection or rotation in a pattern

Activities to support the strategy

Activity 1: robot

Working in pairs, students select an object in the classroom or in the playground without informing their partner. Each student guides their blindfolded partner around the classroom/playground to their secret objects using a combination of transformation movements. (Reflections will need to be excluded from this activity), e.g. translate forward 5 steps, rotate 90 degrees to the right / clockwise etc.

Variation: Students write their instructions for their partner to follow.

Activity 2: transforming patterns

Students create a repeated pattern of stamps or pictures using a combination of transformations drawn with digital technology. They print and exchange patterns with a partner who has to determine the sequence of transformations used. Partners then predict the next translation, reflection or rotation in the pattern.

References

Australian curriculum

ACMMG142 Investigate combinations of translations, reflections and rotations, with and without the use of digital technologies.