• Tessellations
• General Math
• Fractions/Decimals
• Geometry
• Algebra
• Calculus
• Statistics
• Fractals
• Patterns in Art
• Musical Patterns
• Literary Patterns
• Patterns in Nature
• Weather Patterns
• Animal Migration

A tessellation is a pattern made up of one or more shapes, completely covering a surface without any gaps or overlaps.

Tessellations are sometimes called tilings. Tessellations are evident in the art of M.C. Escher, in crystal growth in nature, and in some mathematical endeavors.

Sample some of the following activities to learn more about tessellations.

Places To Go

The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about tessellations.

The Official M.C. Escher Web site

Tessellations.org
This website is a great place to begin learning about how to tessellations. It is written for students.

The Escher Museum in the Netherlands

Tessellation Tutorials
Travel to Spain and the Middle East and view the tilings and tessellation evident in some of their Moorish architecture. Choose "Historical and Geographic Connections" from the menu of this site. 

M.C. Escher

World of Escher

M.C. Escher: Artist or Mathematician
Meet Maurits Corneille (M.C.) Escher and view some of his unique tessellations. He was a Dutch graphic artist who created "visual riddles".

Tessellate!
Interactivate website which allows students to easily create a shape and then tessellate it.

Printable Tessellation Page

Shmuzzles.com
Online puzzels with pieces that are all the same shape.

Tessellations Online
A list of resources that are available online.

Totally Tessellated
Learn about the history of tessellation. Johannes Kepler, the 16th century German mathematician and astronomer, worked with tessellations.

Symmetry and Tessellation
Find 30 classroom activities and lessons dealing with symmetry, tessellation, or M.C. Escher.

Alex Bateman's Origami Page
Figure out how to do tessellations in origami!

Cool Math: Tessellations
Use these simple explanations and illustrations to teach the pattern concept of tessellation.

Tessellations
Combine tessellations and geometry. This activity takes you through the steps of using the Mecc software, TesselMania.

The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher
Learn more about the mathematical principles behind the drawings of M.C. Escher..

Virtual Field Trips are teacher and student-created tours of curricular topics. (You can learn how to use this UEN Virtual Field Trip tool created by UEN for Utah educators).

•  Tessellations

 Lesson Plans/Webquests

• Tantalizing Tessellations
• Tessellations
• Tessellation Project
• Covering the Plane with Rep-Tiles
• Terrific Tessellations
• Regular Tessellations
• Visual Patterns in Tessellations
• Geometry in Tessellations
• Tessellations: Geometry and Symmetry
• Investigating Tessellations Using Activity Pattern Blocks
• M.C. Escher: Mathematics and Visual Arts

• Ernst, Bruno. The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher. Stradbroke : Tarquin, c1985.
• Escher, M. C. The Graphic Work : Introduced and Explained by the Artist. New York : Barnes & Noble Books, 1994.
• Escher, M. C. Escher on Escher : Exploring the Infinite. New York : H.N. Abrams, 1989.
• Escher, M. C. M. C. Escher : Twenty-nine Master Prints. New York : Abrams, 1983, c1981.
• Escher, M. C. The Magic of M.C. Escher. New York : Harry N. Abrams, 2000.
• M.C. Escher : His life and Complete Graphic Work, With a Fully Illustrated Catalog. New York : Abradale Press/Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992.
• Sachs, Michael S. The Pop-up book of M. C. Escher. Petaluma, Calif. : Pomegranate Artbooks, c1991.
• Schattschneider, Doris. Visions of Symmetry : Notebooks, Periodic Drawings, and Related Work of M.C. Escher. New York : W.H. Freeman, c1990.
• Schattschneider, Doris. M.C. Escher Kaleidocycles. Corte Madera, Calif. : Pomegranate Artbooks, 1987.