Rotating Poly Plugs Years 3 - 6

Summary Turning and flipping a Poly Plug board is a natural action for children - some may call it 'fiddling'. In this activity that action is directed towards exploring rotation using a pattern designed by the child. Materials One Poly Plug for each child Poly Plug Paper Acknowledgement This activity was contributed by Rhonda Woods, Margate Primary School.

Will all of Sam's drawings be the same?

Procedure The child creates a Poly Plug design and records it on Poly Plug Paper. Then they rotate the board a 1/4 turn and draw the new arrangement. This is followed by another1/4 turn and the next drawing. The process is repeated for the 3/4 turn and finally a complete rotation. The design remains the same - the children are just rotate the Poly Plug design and record the plugs in their new orientation. Notice that Sam is begin careful to rest the side of the board on the table as he records. Then he will rotate another quarter turn and rest the next side.

Content pattern interpretation pattern recognition spatial perception transformations (rotations, reflections, flips)

Extensions

1. When the board is turned in the hands a quarter turn at a time, it implies that the centre of rotation is the centre plug of the board. Ask the children to choose a different plug, poke it out with their finger and then use their finger as an axle on which to rotate the board. Record the quarter turn pictures now.
2. If you know the four drawings from a rotation can you work out which plug space was the centre of rotation?
3. Explore the creation and recording of reflections and flips.
4. Link this activity to the Free Tour activities Exploring Symmetry, Rotation Challenges and Copy Cats.
5. The NRICH web site has a neat, software-based complement to this task which they call Poly Plug Rectangle. It offers several levels of challenge in the Teachers' Notes and video from classrooms.

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