Construction paper (various colors)
Scissors (child-safe)
Thumbtacks or pins
Soft board for displaying the work
Preparation:
Cover the working area with newspaper or plastic sheets to manage any mess.
Place all materials within easy reach of students.
Introduction:
Explain the concepts of translation (moving an object from one place to another without rotating it) and rotation (turning an object around a point) to the students using simple terms and visual aids.
Activity:
Distribute construction paper and scissors to each student.
Ask the students to cut out their favorite shapes (e.g., circles, squares, triangles).
Have the students pin their shapes on the soft board, demonstrating translation:
Pin the shape in one position.
Move the same shape a little forward in the same direction and pin it again.
Next, ask the students to demonstrate rotation:
Pin the shape in a straight position.
Rotate the shape (e.g., 90 degrees, 180 degrees) and pin it again.
Display:
Once all shapes are pinned, review the board with the students.
Encourage the students to observe the different translations and rotations created by their classmates’ shapes.
Discussion:
Gather the students around the display and discuss the different transformations (translation and rotation) observed.
Reinforce the concepts by relating them to real-world examples (e.g., sliding a book on a table for translation, turning a doorknob for rotation).