Unit 1, Lesson 6
Describing Transformations
Grade 8
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
Prior to this lesson, students have studied and classified different types of transformations (translations, rotations, reflections). They have practiced applying individual transformations and sequences of transformations to figures both on and off of a coordinate grid. In this lesson, they focus on communicating precisely the information needed to apply a sequence of transformations to a polygon on the coordinate grid. They must think carefully about what information they need (MP1) and request this information from their partner in a clear, precise way. They also explain why they need each piece of information (MP3). The coordinate plane plays a key role in this work, allowing students to communicate precisely about the locations of polygons and how they are transformed.
Today’s community building centers on the teacher sharing their draft commitments as part of the mathematical community. At the end of the lesson, students are invited to suggest additions to the teacher sections of the chart.
- Create a drawing on a coordinate grid of the image of a polygon using verbal descriptions of a sequence of transformations.
- Identify what information is needed to perform a sequence of transformations on a polygon. Ask questions to elicit that information.
Let’s transform some polygons in the coordinate plane.
Required Materials
Activity 1
Required Preparation
From the geometry toolkits, graph paper and tracing paper are especially helpful.
In the “Doing Math” teacher section of the Math Community Chart, add 2–5 commitments you have for what your teaching practice “looks like” and “sounds like” this year.