Transformations

__Activity One__:
"Dance, Dance, Translation!" __Materials Needed__:
 * a large sheet
 * fabric markers

First, create a coordinate plane on a large sheet. I used a flat, queen sheet. Try to find a light-colored sheet so the marker shows up clearly on the sheet. The "window" I used on my coordinate plane was [-5,5] for both the x and y axes. Then, have your students create a dance. They must describe this dance using either coordinate notation or vector notation. For instance, one might say, "Start at the origin. Translate by the vector <2,4> doing the grapevine." Of course, the dance could continue with a new move for each translation. This not only gives students some practice with points on the coordinate plane, but it also allows them to become more familiar with vector notation and how to use it to describe translations.