M.C. Escher and Tessellations (Part 1)

M.C. Escher and Tessellations (Part 1) is a Grade 4 geometry investigation that introduces tessellations through art and polygon patterns. Students experiment with paper triangles, squares, rectangles, hexagons, and octagons to see which shapes can cover a plane without gaps or overlaps. The activity then focuses attention on the three regular tessellations made from triangles, squares, and hexagons.

Use it as a whole-class geometry lesson when students are studying regular polygons, angle relationships, and repeating patterns. Escher’s artwork gives the mathematics a visual context while hands-on experimentation lets students test which shapes actually tessellate. Create a free Find a Math Game account to generate lesson support for M.C. Escher and Tessellations (Part 1). No credit card, with 3 lifetime lesson generations.