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Course 3 Lesson

Slide, Flip, Turn: Introducing Rigid Transformations

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8th level 1BTC Style / Thinking ClassroomsCCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.1, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.2, CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.340 min
Learning Objective

Students will identify, describe, and perform translations, reflections, and rotations on the coordinate plane, recognizing that rigid transformations preserve side lengths and angle measures.

Lesson Overview

Students discover the three rigid transformations (translation, reflection, rotation) by moving figures on coordinate grids, noticing what changes and what stays the same. Tasks progress from identifying a transformation by name to describing it precisely with coordinates.

Materials

  • Vertical whiteboards or chart paper
  • Dry-erase markers
  • Rulers or straightedges
  • Coordinate grid transparencies or printed grids taped to boards
  • Colored markers (2 colors per group)

Scaffolded Task Progression

1Task 1
Here are two figures on the grid below. Figure A is the original. Figure B is the image after a transformation.


[ Interactive graph / diagram, available in the full lesson ]


Look at Figure A (blue) and Figure B (red). Answer these questions:
1. Did the shape get bigger or smaller?
2. Did the shape get flipped or turned?
3. What ONE word describes what happened to Figure A?
2Task 2
Figure A (blue triangle) has vertices at , , and . It was translated to create Figure B (red triangle) with vertices at , , and .

Describe the translation using the words: 'Every point moved ___ units to the ___ and ___ units up/down.'

Then check: does the vertex follow the same rule? Show your work.

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