What are Tessellations?
The word 'tessella' is Latin for a small block used to make mosaics.
A tessellation or tiling is a pattern made up of one or more shapes, completely covering a surface with no gaps or overlaps.
Tessellations can be seen throughout art history, from ancient architecture to modern art.
Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) widely known as M. C. Escher is one of the world's most famous graphic artist whose drawings involving tessellations are enjoyed by millions of people and are a great inspiration for classroom activities.
A tessellation or tiling is a pattern made up of one or more shapes, completely covering a surface with no gaps or overlaps.
Tessellations can be seen throughout art history, from ancient architecture to modern art.
Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) widely known as M. C. Escher is one of the world's most famous graphic artist whose drawings involving tessellations are enjoyed by millions of people and are a great inspiration for classroom activities.
What's on This Lens
- Let's Get Started
- Tessellating Polygons
- Do It Yourself Tessellations
- David's Gallery from DIY Tessellations
- The Cube
- The Tetrahedron
- The Octahedron
- The Dodecahedron
- M C Escher
- Some of Escher's Exquisite Drawings
- How to Make a Möbius Strip
- Great links for variations of the Möbius Strip
- August Ferdinand Möbius
- Books on Tessellations from Amazon
- One to Watch
- Top 10 in Tessellations
- What Are Your Thoughts on Tessellations?
- Del.icio.us bookmarks on Tessellations
- Leave a comment and rate this Lens
- Tessellations on CafePress
- My Books on eBay
- Tessellations Zazzle
Let's Get Started
Tessellations use regular polygons with 3 or 4 or 5 or more sides. A regular polygon is a shape whose sides are all equal in length and all angles are equal in sides:
- Equilateral triangle
- Square
- Regular pentagon
- Regular hexagon
- Regular heptagon
- Regular octogon
- Regular nonagon
- Regular decagon ...
Regular tessellation involves a tessellation made up of congruent regular polygons. Congruent polygons are polygons of same size and shape.
- Equilateral triangle
- Square
- Regular pentagon
- Regular hexagon
- Regular heptagon
- Regular octogon
- Regular nonagon
- Regular decagon ...
Regular tessellation involves a tessellation made up of congruent regular polygons. Congruent polygons are polygons of same size and shape.
Tessellating Polygons
There are only three regular polygons which tessellate in the Euclidean plane: triangles, squares or hexagons. The Euclidean plane is the set of all ordered pairs of real numbers (has two dimensions).
Why aren't the other regular polygons suitable for tessellations? Click one of the links below for an in-depth explanation.
Why aren't the other regular polygons suitable for tessellations? Click one of the links below for an in-depth explanation.
- CoolMath
- This link will take you to the rules of regular tessellations, what works and why.
- What is a Tessellation?
- This link is similar to the previous one but has some great tutorials and teacher lesson plans.
Do It Yourself Tessellations
- DIY tessellations
- This link takes you to great examples of tessellations, using different methods of tessellation: line method, slice method, gaps method, multi method, paper cut method and much more. These examples consist of very easy and clear steps to follow.
David's Gallery from DIY Tessellations
The Cube
This tessellated cube can be downloaded from here
The Tetrahedron
This tessellated tetrahedron can be downloaded from here The Octahedron
This tessellated octahedron can be downloaded from here The Dodecahedron
This tessellated octahedron can be downloaded from here M C Escher
Maurits Cornelis Escher widely known as M C Escher, was born in Leeuwarden, Holland in 1898. He created fascinating works of art that explore and present a wide range of mathematical ideas, especially tessellations.The drawing is a Self Portrait (lithograph, 1948)
How to Make a Möbius Strip
powered by Youtube
Great links for variations of the Möbius Strip
- The Möbius Strip at the Bellevue Community College
- This is a worksheet that can be used in the classroom for making a Möbius strip.
- World of Escher
- If you want a poster of the Möbius Strip, this is a place you can purchase it.
- Mathematical sculptor Helaman Ferguson
- This is a sculpture that uses the same principle of the Möbius Strip.
- Pic of the Moebius strip with racing cars
- This is another great idea that uses the Möbius Strip. It can be used in the classroom and children can make their own theme for the strip.
- Knitting a Möbius Strip.
- Knit a scarf that's a Möbius strip. One edge, one side, and basically a loop with half a twist in it.
August Ferdinand Möbius
Who is Möbius?
August Ferdinand Möbius was born in Schulpforta, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany on November 17, 1790 and died in Leipzig on September 26, 1868). Möbius was a German mathematician and theoretical astronomer.Möbius is best known for his discovery of the Möbius strip, a non-orientable two-dimensional surface with only one side when embedded in three-dimensional Euclidean space.
Books on Tessellations from Amazon
Tessellations : The History and Making of Symmetrical Designs
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 12/27/2009) 
Designing Tessellations : The Secrets of Interlocking Patterns
Amazon Price: (as of 12/27/2009)
Introduction to Tessellations
Amazon Price: $28.99 (as of 12/27/2009)
Origami Tessellations: Awe-Inspiring Geometric Designs
Amazon Price: $22.45 (as of 12/27/2009)
Tessellation Quilts: Sensational Designs From Interlocking Patterns
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 12/27/2009)
One to Watch
Top 10 in Tessellations
Add your own favourite site/blog/squidoo, add your own or just vote on your favourite link.
Math Forum: Tessellations using Activity Pattern Blocks
Activities for making tessellations using activity more...0 points
Cool math Lessons - Geometry
What are Tessellations?0 points
The Official M.C. Escher Website
'On this website you can find information about th more...0 points
Math Forum: Tessellations using Activity Pattern Blocks
Activities for making tessellations using activity more...0 points
Pics of the Moebius strip
Photo of Pic of the Moebius strip0 points
Lesson Plan: Medieval Ages Beasties - Tessellations
TESSELLATION LESSON PLAN <br /><br />
more...0 points
National Gallery of Art - USA
M.C. Escher: Life and Work0 points
Create a Translation Tessellation
Very easy to follow steps in making a tessellation more...0 points
Club Electric Quilt
Tessellation and Quilting0 points
Tessellations by Michael D. Dowle
This site offers a huge number of tessellating pat more...0 points
What Are Your Thoughts on Tessellations?
Being new at Squidoo it would be great to get some feedback to know whether I am on the right track or not. Thanks.
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- FunGifts4All FunGifts4All Aug 2, 2009 @ 5:01 pm
- Very nice lens. Seen the art before, but didn't know what it was called. Very nice job!!
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- kiwisoutback kiwisoutback Jun 28, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
- This is really interesting. Nice work, you should make a great Fresh Squid!
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- a_willow a_willow Jun 13, 2009 @ 11:14 am
- You are one of April 2009 graduates! Come by and answer few questions to show the way to those who will follow! Wish you many, many more great lenses!
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- groovyoldlady groovyoldlady May 11, 2009 @ 9:54 am
- Wow...this is majorly groovy! Definitely a step beyond crayons and cutting and pasting!
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- StephenC StephenC May 10, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
- When I taught high school math I had my class all do these. They looked great.
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Hi! I am a practising Maths teacher and I have always been interested in finding interesting ways to teach Maths. Hence my lenses. I have to admit tha... (more)
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