Exploring Rotations
NAME_________________________
For the explorations on this activity sheet, access the game Flip ‘N Slide from the Calculation
Nation® website (http://calculationnation.nctm.org).
90° Clockwise Rotation
1. Before you begin, record the starting coordinates for each vertex in your triangle. Perform a
90° clockwise (CW) rotation about the origin, and record the ending coordinates for each
vertex.
STARTING COORDINATES
ENDING COORDINATES
Vertex A
Vertex B
Vertex C
2. Record the ending coordinates from question 1, in the starting coordinates section of the table
below. Perform and 90° clockwise rotation about the origin, and record the ending
coordinates for each vertex.
STARTING COORDINATES
ENDING COORDINATES
Vertex A
Vertex B
Vertex C
3. Compare your work with the person sitting next to you. Make a conjecture about what
happens to a vertex when you perform a 90° clockwise rotation about the origin.
© 2011 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
http://illuminations.nctm.org
180° Clockwise Rotation
4. Before you begin, record the starting coordinates for each vertex in your triangle. Perform a
180° clockwise rotation about the origin, and record the ending coordinates for each vertex.
STARTING COORDINATES
ENDING COORDINATES
Vertex A
Vertex B
Vertex C
5. Record the ending coordinates from question 4, in the starting coordinates section of the table
below. Perform and 180° clockwise rotation about the origin, and record the ending
coordinates for each vertex.
STARTING COORDINATES
ENDING COORDINATES
Vertex A
Vertex B
Vertex C
6. Compare your work with the person sitting next to you. Make a conjecture about what
happens to a specific vertex when you perform a 180° clockwise rotation about the origin.
© 2011 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
http://illuminations.nctm.org
270° Clockwise Rotation
7. Before you begin, record the starting coordinates for each vertex in your triangle. Perform a
270° clockwise rotation about the origin, and record the ending coordinates for each vertex.
STARTING COORDINATES
ENDING COORDINATES
Vertex A
Vertex B
Vertex C
8. Record the ending coordinates from question 4, in the starting coordinates section of the table
below. Perform and 270° clockwise rotation about the origin, and record the ending
coordinates for each vertex.
STARTING COORDINATES
ENDING COORDINATES
Vertex A
Vertex B
Vertex C
9. Compare your work with the person sitting next to you. Make a conjecture about what
happens to a specific vertex when you perform a 270° clockwise rotation about the origin.
© 2011 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
http://illuminations.nctm.org