In this unit, students investigate fractional parts of the whole and use translations, reflections, rotations, and line symmetry to make four-part quilt squares. Teams of students make paper quilts from squares they have designed.
Each team presents its quilt design to the class and describes how they arrived at the design. The teams analyze the different quilt designs and discuss the numerical and geometrical similarities and differences among them. There are many chances to integrate Social Studies and Art in this unit.
Individual Lessons
Lesson 1 - Parts of a Square
Students investigate the ways shapes can be divided into equal pieces with one or two cuts. It provides a review of the following vocabulary terms:
square, triangle, and rectangle; congruent, one-half, and one-fourth. The other lessons in this unit build on this introductory lesson.
Lesson 2 - Describing Designs
Students create designs and describe them to a classmate, using fractional and geometric terms. It provides a context for using the following vocabulary terms: horizontal, vertical, square, rectangle, triangle, diagonal, one-half, and one-fourth.
Lesson 3 - Exploring Flips and Slides
This lesson builds on the previous two lessons and encourages students to explore the geometric transformations of reflection and translation. Students create a design then, using flips and slides, make a four-part paper "mini-quilt" using that design as the basis. While the formal terms are reflection and translation, the more informal terms slide and flip are used at this stage. The experience focuses students’ attention on the changes these geometric transformations make in a student-designed quilt square.
Lesson 4 - Exploring Turns
This lesson encourages students to explore the geometric transformation of rotation. Students create a design then, using turns, make a four‑part paper "mini-quilt" with that design as the basis. While the formal term is rotation, the more informal turn is used at this grade band. The experience focuses students’ attention on the changes the geometric transformations make in a student-designed quilt square.
Lesson 5 - Analyzing Designs
This lesson encourages students to explore the geometric transformation of rotation, reflection and translation more fully. Students create a design then, using flips, turns, and slides, make a 4-part paper "mini-quilt" square
with that design as the basis. This experience focuses students’ attention on both the changes produced by the geometric transformations and on line symmetry.
Lesson 6 - Planning and Making a Mini-Quilt
Students create a quilt using the three transformations and investigate the ways shapes can be colored to show one-half and one-fourth. They locate lines of symmetry and create a set of directions for making their quilt block.
