Students Explore Math Transformations From Around the World

North Colonie Communications

January 23, 2025

An image of two students coloring mandalas.

Students color mandalas as part of their math transformation stations at SMS.

An image of two students comparing kaleidoscopes.

Students compare kaleidoscopes at the reflection art station while learning math transformations.

An image of students creating barn quilts.

Students create barn quilts as part of a lesson on math transformations.

An image of a student creating a kente cloth.

A student creates a kente cloth while participating in stations about math transformations.

An image of a student smiling while showing off her barn quilt creation.

A student works on a barn quilt creation as part of a lesson on math transformations.

An image of students using a laptop to help them learn how to make kente cloths.

Students learn how to make kente cloths as part of a lesson on math transformations.

An image of students learning about reflective art hands on.

Students learn about reflective art in a lesson about math transformations.

An image of two students looking through handmade kaleidoscopes.

Students create kaleidoscopes as they learn about reflective art.

Mrs. Huyck, an eighth grade math teacher at Shaker Middle School, collaborated with Ms. Weimer and Ms. Phillips in the library, to teach students about how math transformations (translations, reflections, dilations, rotations) exist in other cultures around the world. The students participated in a two day station activity where they interacted with six separate stations. Each station was designed to give the students some historical background on the culture and still have time for a “hands-on” activity that allowed students to interact with the transformations.

The stations included:

Station 1: Mandalas (Asia)
Station 2: Barn Quilts (US)
Station 3: Kente Cloths (Africa)
Station 4: Origami (Japan)
Station 5: Reflection Art/Kaleidoscope (Scotland)
Station 6: World Flags

An image of three finished kente cloths.

Three kente cloths created by students in a lesson on math transformations.

An image of five finished works of art.

Five finished products created in a lesson about math transformations.

An image of five kaleidoscopes standing up on a table.

Students created handmade kaleidoscopes in a lesson on reflective art.

After the station activity, where students were able to “dip their toes” into transformations, they then had to create their own cultural math transformations. Students were encouraged to get creative and draw, sew, design, or weave an example of a cultural transformation. The 8th grade students created spectacular barn quilts out of balsa blocks, wove kente clothes from fabric, designed and colored intricate mandalas, produced their own kaleidoscopes with reflective art, and even replicated world flags on poster boards.

An image of two students coloring mandalas.

Students color mandalas as part of their math transformation stations at SMS.

An image of a student creating a barn quilt using balsa blocks.

Students create barn quilts using balsa blocks.

An image of four students around a table coloring a mandala.

Students work together to color in a mandala.

An image of two students creating barn quilts out of balsa blocks.

Students use balsa blocks to create barn quilt designs.

An image of three students weaving fabric to create kente cloths.

Students work together to weave fabric to create a kente cloth.

An image of a student writing with a pencil in front of a laptop.

A student learns about reflection, rotation, translation and dilation using world flags.

An image of two students folding paper to create origami.

Students learn about Japanese origami and try their hand at creating their own pieces.

An image of four students standing around a table coloring a mandala.

Students work together to create a beautiful mandala.

An image of students looking at world flags on their laptops.

Students learn about math transformations using world flags.