Reflection of Images

I believe that students will look forward to math class once we start a unit on transformations.  This unit is different from regular math lessons in that it allows the students to work with materials and get away from the number crunching.  Visual learners will love these activities – they will excel and become classroom leaders. 

This particular activity will be a good introduction to the new concept of reflection.  I don’t think that it will be too difficult, but yet it will challenge the students, especially the figure in C.  As with many endeavors, there no better way to learn than by doing and that is just what this exercise is about.

After the students have completed this activity, they could check their work by folding their papers along the x-axis and y-axis.  Each reflection should “lay” on top of the original figure, preimage.

The students should be able to recognize that when images are reflected across the x-axis they appear to be upside down but with the same original characteristics.  When images are reflected across the y-axis they also have the same attributes but what once was on the left is now on the right and vice versa.