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Name Designs (Slide, Flip, Turn)

 

A great culmination or introduction to a geometry unit on transformations. Students create a symmetrical design by making slides, flips, and turns of their name. You can make a 4-flip version or an 8-flip version.

Materials

• 12"x 12" square white drawing paper
• one triangle piece for each student:
  • Fold a 12 x 12 square diagonally to make either 4 or 8 equal sections and cut into triangles
• markers or crayons
• pencil
• black permanent marker
  

Directions

1. Give each student a triangle piece. Have them use a pencil to write their name in capital letters, so that the name fills the entire triangle. The letters should fill the triangle to all of the edges of the paper, from top to bottom, and from side to side. Students can use "bubble" letters, or just stick letters.
   
2. Once the design is created, have students trace over the pencil lines with the black permanent marker. Then flip over the triangle, and trace the outlines of the letters on the reverse side of the paper.
   
3. Next, scribble on both sides of the triangle with a dark color crayon. Cover the entire piece. Make sure you press fairly firmly to get a good dark coat of color.
   
4. Take the 12"x12" paper. Fold the square in half diagonally two times if you are making the 4-flip version, or 3 times if you are making the 8-flip version. The triangle sections you end up with on the big square should be congruent to the triangle you are using as a template.
   
5. Fit the triangle pattern into one corner of the square paper, matching the fold lines on the square paper. You should be able to flip the triangle over and over either 4 times or 8 times, leaving one point in the center, until you get back where you started.
   
6. Use a pencil to trace heavily over the design on the triangle pattern. Keep the triangle pattern as still as possible, and don't lift it until you have finished tracing the entire design. The pencil marks you scribbled on the triangle pattern will be transfered to the square paper.
   
7. When you have traced the entire design, flip the triangle pattern over to other side lining up with the next fold lines. Retrace the design using a pencil.
   
8. Repeat flipping the triangle pattern and tracing, until you have traced design 8 times, filling the entire square. Your design will be right side up one time, and upside down the next.
   
9. Using a black permanent marker, go over all pencil lines on the square paper. If you have drawn the letters to fill up the entire triangle, the ends of the letters by the fold lines will overlap, and connect to make new shapes. Clean up any stray pencil marks with an eraser.
   
10. Using markers or crayons, color in the design. Color each triangular section of the design the same way.
    
11. When the designs are colored, discuss where the patterns show slides, flips, and turns.