Transformations ARE NOT LOST in Translation in Math

What do careers such as engineering/construction and interior design/decorating have in common? They ALL need to understand relationships between objects.  One might ask HOW do we learn about those relationships like symmetry and similarity?  The answer is transformations. 

Students were challenged with the task to show what they learned about:  reflection, rotation, translation, and dilation using digital tools of their choice.  

Justice explains, "When a translation takes place, the figure is moved, but the shape and size stay the same." https://www.smore.com/tndnd

Aiyana represents reflection by  "across the y-axis it will cause the y-value to change while the x-value remains the same. it can be represented as (x,-y)." 
https://www.smore.com/q5j97 

Aaliyah analyzes the concept of rotation of the triangle by 90 degrees clockwise around the origin (0,0).  She then states the result as, "My ordered pairs changed from (X, Y) to (-Y, X)" 
https://www.smore.com/dx8sg-graphing-transformation-project 

When we work with shapes and figures it is easy to start to see patterns that designers use to create the final product. Even in a simplistic way the floors of a skyscraper may just be transformations of a different floor with the exact same layout. Figuring out the way those figures need to be moved to optimize the space is really what transformations can teach us.

Colbie noted that because the shapes are congruent in size an architect or interior designer might use this concept to duplicate a part of a room or building. Some buildings have cool features that are repeated to make the building unique. Those features are just transformed from one location to the next.

Olivia saw that with dilations the shape doesn’t stay the same size. “Perhaps a customer likes the design they were given but want it to be larger or smaller like a dilation.”

These projects were created in 8th grade math at Wilson Middle School and exceeded Mrs. Holly Lewis' expectations of creativity, organization, and concept.