Describe the Transformation
Eight pairs of shapes on a grid: name the transformation and give every detail, then see it drawn out.
About this activity
Students see shape A and its image B on a coordinate grid and describe the single transformation: a translation with its vector, a reflection with its mirror line, a rotation with its angle, direction and centre, or an enlargement with its scale factor and centre. After each one the mirror line, centre or movement is drawn on the grid. The content is the same on every exam board (AQA, Edexcel, OCR and Eduqas).
How to use Describe the Transformation
- Describe the Transformation is a free Maths activity for Years 7 to 11 that takes about 10 minutes. Try it on this page on a computer, tablet or phone: there’s nothing to download.
- In a lesson, choose Show on the board to play it together as a class.
- To set it for a class, a teacher shares it and gets a code: students type the 6-digit code at lycolearn.co.uk/join with their first name and the first letter of their surname (no accounts needed), and their scores come back to the teacher.
Students will
- Tell translations, reflections, rotations and enlargements apart
- Give the vector for a translation and the mirror line for a reflection
- Give the angle, direction and centre of a rotation
- Give the scale factor and centre of an enlargement
Teaching tips
- Stress that an exam answer needs the type and every detail for full marks.
- Hand out tracing paper for the rotations: students can check on the screen.