Representing and combining transformations

This lesson develops the concept of combining transformations. In particular students will:

• Recognise and visualise transformations of 2D shapes
• Translate, reflect and rotate shapes, and combine these transformations
• Discuss some common misconceptions about transformations

The initial activity looks at transformations of a shape on a coordinate grid.

A collaborative activity presents students with a series picture cards showing transformations of an ‘L’ shape, together with some cards detailing transformations. Students must place the instructions between the picture cards so that all picture cards have at least one instruction card beside them.

There are pre-lesson and post-lesson formative assessment tasks. Detailed teacher notes give suggestions on questioning and how to use the resources. Full solutions are given for each of the sections.

This is a concept development lesson from the Mathematics Assessment Resource Service, a collaboration between UC Berkeley and the Shell Centre team at the University of Nottingham. Further information on the collection is given here.