1. STEAM Tessellation T15

2. What is tessellate?
A dictionary* will tell you that the word "tessellate" means to form or arrange small squares in a checkered or mosaic pattern. The word "tessellate" is derived from the Ionic version of the Greek word "tesseres," which in English means "four." The first tilings were made from square tiles.

3. Fact:
A tessellation is created when a shape is repeated over and over again covering a plane without any gaps or overlays.
Examples range from nature, such as honey combs, to man-made objects such as architecture, art and quilts.
Equilateral triangles, squares, and regular hexagons are the only regular polygons that can be used for tessellations made of only one kind of polygon.

4. Check out M.C. Escher’s Art
Escher can be regarded as the 'Father' of modern tessellations so we've allocated several galleries to his art. He is famous for his impossible depictions, but he was a master of lino and wood cuts and produced many superbly crafted landscapes as well.
During his life, he became obsessed with filling surfaces with pictures that did not overlap or leave spaces. Aged 68, he stated, "Filling two-dimensional planes has become a real mania to which I have become addicted and from which I sometimes find it hard to tear myself away."

5. Directions:
1) Research and find an example of tessellations in nature, architecture, and art. Copy and Paste these onto your STEAM Poster. (try to find a variety 0f polygons)
2) Identify the polygon used in the tessellations.
3) Research about M.C. Escher and write a paragraph about his life and artwork.
4) Extra Credit – Create your own Tessellation

6. STEAM
Science: What items in nature, architecture, and art have tessellations?
Technology: Look up facts on a computer about the artist and writing a biography
Engineer: Engineering –engineer a tessellation
grade/tessellation/
Art: Creating an artistic poster using tessellations
Math: Using math to figure out geometric shapes/patterns

7. RULE #3: Each vertex must look the same.
Basically, a tessellation is a way to tile a floor (that goes on forever) with shapes so that there is no overlapping and no gaps. Remember the last puzzle you put together? Well, that was a tessellation! The shapes were just really weird.
We usually add a few more rules to make things interesting!
REGULAR TESSELLATIONS:
RULE #1:   The tessellation must tile a floor (that goes on forever) with no overlapping or gaps.
RULE #2:  The tiles must be regular polygons - and all the same.
RULE #3:   Each vertex must look the same.