This can be used as a critical thinking exercise in congruence or as a teaching tool when first introducing the concept. Four octagons are arranged in such a way that a square is formed in the middle. With this information, geometry...

Here, second graders are tasked to find the patterns that have an even number of tiles. They are asked to think about why these patterns are even or odd and explain how they know.

Create number sentences and equations to solve geometric problems. Each activity in the series of five asks young mathematicians to consider different-sized tiles to build structures according to specific criteria. The first activities,...

After learning that the sum of interior angles for triangles is 108 degrees, take it further to show that the sum of angles in any polygon is the same! Using hexagons, pupils practice finding the measure of the six congruent angles. Make...

What more could we want from floor tiles? Using pattern blocks and graph paper, pupils determine ways to completely tile a floor of given dimensions. They consider the aesthetic quality of the tiles by creating a tessellation and...

You'll never look at floor tiles the same again. An assessment task prompts learners to investigate relationships between patterns involving squares and kites to determine angle measurements. They then prove...

Demonstrate the abstract process of solving equations by using algebra tiles as a concrete representation. Scholars begin by solving equations through the use of manipulatives. As they gain more confidence, they progress to...

A resource fit for a queen. Scholars recognize and continue a pattern in towers people are building for a queen. They write and use an algebraic expression for the number of tiles in the towers.

Young geometers and biologists investigate the math of nature in an activity that is just the bee's knees. Participants will study the tessellations of hexagons in a beehive, along with the natural rationale behind the specific shape....

A connecting-the-dots activity seems too easy for seventh grade but connecting vertices may prove a challenge. Class members first examine a figure created by drawing squares around the inside of an octagon and connecting the...

Long and short vowels have never been quite so colorful! Learners use an intricate key to color a grid of words based on the vowel sound they hear. Red is the long a sound, light blue is the short u sound, etc. By the time they've...

This extensive and far-reaching collection of worksheets puts a new twist on many basic concepts. Learners use multiplication to trace a path from one point to another, tile a plane by converting between improper and proper fractions,...

How many people can sit around a table? The 22nd part in a series of 36 continues the work on writing and evaluating expressions to include expressions with two operations. Pupils use models to determine an expression for the number of...

Discover how the periodic table tells the story of its elements. Learners begin by studying the makeup of several mixtures. Their analysis leads to a discussion of elements and the periodic table. As they dig deeper, they understand the...

Eighth graders are presented with a tile pattern showing an apparent square surrounded by four octagons. They are asked to answer a question about congruency and angle measurements, as well as prove that the interior shape is really a...

Eighth graders are presented with a pattern of octagon tiles. They are asked to answer questions about angle measures and hexagonal arrangements. Aligns with 8.G.A.5.

This task applies reflections to a regular hexagon to construct a pattern of six hexagons enclosing a seventh. The focus of the task is on using the properties of reflections to deduce this seven-hexagon pattern. Aligns with G-CO.B.6.

This task applies reflections to a regular octagon to construct a pattern of four octagons enclosing a quadrilateral. The focus of the task is on using the properties of reflections to deduce that the quadrilateral is actually a square....

Beehives are made of walls, each of the same size, enclosing small hexagonal cells where honey and pollen are stored and bees are raised. This problem examines some of the mathematical advantages of the hexagonal tiling in a beehive....

Young scholars will determine whether a set of objects contains an even or odd number of members using strategies such as pairing objects or attempting to divide the objects into two equal subgroups. Discussion questions and explanations...