Lesson 6: Design Project (Summative)

Year 9 1-2 Lessons Assessment

The Challenge: Pattern Architect

Brief: Design an original geometric pattern for a specific purpose (e.g., a school entryway, a book cover, a sports uniform).

Your design must demonstrate your understanding of transformations and symmetry.

Project Constraints

  • Use at least FOUR repetitions of a base motif.
  • Include at least two types of transformation (e.g. Rotation + Reflection).
  • Have at least one line of symmetry in the final design.
  • Be presented on A3 paper or digital equivalent.

🎥 Media Anchor (8 mins)

Kaiako to source: no verified video is currently attached to this lesson. If you want a media anchor, choose a short clip on transformation geometry or tukutuku/kōwhaiwhai design, and check the video’s real title and content match this lesson before class.

  • Which two transformations will strengthen the mathematical quality of your design?
  • What evidence in your final draft proves those rules were applied accurately?

Submission Requirements

1. The Design (Visual)

High quality, accurate drawing. Ruler used for straight lines. Consistent colouring or shading.

2. The Justification (Written)

Write a paragraph explaining your math:

  • "My base motif is..."
  • "I transformed it by..." (Give specific rules like 90° clockwise).
  • "This created a pattern with..." (Describe the symmetry).

3. Cultural Statement (Ethical)

If you used Māori-inspired designs:

  • Acknowledge where the inspiration came from.
  • Explain how you have been respectful (not copying sacred stories, finding your own meaning).

Assessment Rubric

Criteria Developing Proficient Advanced
Transformations Uses 1 transformation correctly. Uses 2+ transformations correctly and accurately. Combines complex transformations (e.g. glide reflection).
Communication Uses some math keywords. Clear description of rules (centre points, mirror lines). Detailed justification linking rules to visual outcome.
Precision Some gaps or inaccurate lines. Neat and mostly accurate grid work. Precision drawing, perfect tessellation/alignment.

📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot

Unit-wide intent — Te Aronga o te Wāhanga

Students will engage with this resource to develop geometric thinking through the lens of Māori visual art — exploring symmetry, transformation, tessellation, and spatial reasoning through the mathematical structures embedded in tukutuku panels, kōwhaiwhai rafter patterns, tāniko weaving, and whakairo (carving).

Unit-wide outcomes — Ngā Putanga o te Wāhanga

These describe the whole unit. Assess this lesson against its own success criteria above, not against these.

  • ✅ Students can identify and describe geometric properties (symmetry, rotation, reflection, translation) within Māori art forms.
  • ✅ Students can design their own pattern using geometric transformations, connecting mathematical precision to cultural meaning.

Differentiation & Inclusion

Scaffold support: A design brief with the transformation requirement stated, so the maths is not optional. Extension: calculate the symmetry properties of your own design.

ELL / ESOL: Geometry is a highly visual domain — the spatial and pattern-based nature of this content naturally reduces language barriers. Key vocabulary (symmetry, reflection, rotation, translation, tessellation) should be taught using physical models and diagrams before text-based tasks. Students can demonstrate geometric understanding through drawing and construction without requiring English fluency.

Inclusion: Geometric pattern work is inherently accessible and engaging across learning styles — visual, kinaesthetic, and analytical learners all find entry points. Neurodiverse learners often excel at pattern recognition and spatial reasoning. Offer choice in medium: digital tools, grid paper, or physical construction with card. The cultural context provides motivating purpose for students who find abstract geometry disconnected from meaning.

Mātauranga Māori lens: When ākonga design their own pattern, the honest framing is that they are applying transformation geometry, not producing tukutuku or kōwhaiwhai. Making that distinction explicit protects both the maths and the tradition.

Prior knowledge: Students should have foundational understanding of 2D shapes and basic transformation vocabulary. No prior knowledge of Māori art forms required — the unit introduces cultural context alongside mathematical content.

Curriculum alignment