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Mathematical Activity Tiles (MATs)
Shape and space, tessellations, reflection, rotation angle and tiling patterns
Related resources
Shape and space, tessellations, reflection, rotation angle and tiling patterns.
The next generation of MATs: encouraging mathematical thinking and discussion.
2-D and 3-D possibilities opened up by cutting regular polygonal tiles.
Key Stage suitability • Explanation |
ATM Non Member* |
ATM Full Member |
|
|---|---|---|---|
 MAT Equilateral Triangles 100
Item Ref: MAT003 |
 |
£8.00 | £6.00 |
 MAT squares 100
Item Ref: MAT004 |
|
£8.20 | £6.15 |
 MAT regular pentagons 100
Item Ref: MAT005 |
|
£8.60 | £6.45 |
 MAT regular hexagons 100
Item Ref: MAT006 |
|
£10.20 | £7.65 |
 MAT regular octagons 100
Item Ref: MAT007 |
|
£13.40 | £10.05 |
 MAT isosceles triangles 100
Item Ref: MAT008 |
|
£8.00 | £6.00 |
 MAT rectangles (double-sided) 100
Item Ref: MAT009 |
|
£8.60 | £6.45 |
 MAT regular decagons 50
Item Ref: MAT011 |
|
£9.40 | £7.05 |
 MAT regular dodecagons 50
Item Ref: MAT012 |
|
£10.00 | £7.50 |
Add one now and change quantity, if required, in your basket later.
* Non-member price applies to both Associate Members and non-members.
Mathematical Activity Tiles (MATs)
MATs are extensively used from infant to post-16.
They are ideal for investigating shape and space, tessellations, reflection, rotation angle and tiling patterns.
They can also be assembled into polyhedra using a suitable adhesive and the material makes them ideal for experimental approaches to the construction of polyhedra. If something like ‘Copydex’ is used, it can be peeled off and the MATs used many times.
The side of each regular polygon is 58mm, the rectangle and isosceles triangle have side of 58mm and 116mm.
There is a book: ‘Mathematical Activity Tiles Handbook’ available.
MAT Activity Tiles are also available in packs of separate shapes.
MATs have been reviewed by Teachers TV - you can see the video of the review here. It is made available here under the terms of the Teachers TV Creative Archive Licence and may not be used for any purpose not permitted by that licence.
Mathematical Activity Tiles offer many opportunities for geometrical exploration. They do this with neither the delay involved in constructing nets nor the prescription implied by ready-made nets. They encourage an exploratory, I prototype', way of working, facing the maker with choices and models he would not be likely to encounter otherwise.
The techniques involved are relatively easy to acquire, becoming refined through experience.
Children of five years old have been capable of some satisfactory constructions and the model illustrated on the front was made by a nine year-old, who invented it and constructed it in the space of an hour.
He began with a flat design of ten pentagons around each hole, but found he could not continue this for long. After a pause for thought, he began to work in three dimensions! People of all ages seem to find themselves using rules, systems and codes in developing their models. That some systems work, while others do not, raises questions about the natural constraints of 3D space and the MATS provide the medium for pursuing these. Both the systems and the questioning involve mathematical thinking. So do the classifying and seeking for relationships which follow the production of a range of polyhedra. These can readily move beyond those usually illustrated in standard references on mathematical models, which is releasing and challenging in a similar way to the effect of a geoboard on 2D geometry.
A range of starters and questions have been tried by myself and others over the past five years. Some of these are collected here and offered as a start to your collection. I would be interested in any that you find particularly valuable and any new ones that arise as you are working with MATs.
Author: Adrian Pinel
The seven MATs
Using the MATs yourself
Some experiences of using MATs
Re-using MATs
Naming polyhedra; the decagon
Teachers' feelings about MATs
Some other uses
Some questions involving nets
New questions that arise from a group graph
Using the MATs with others
Some starters
A durable set of polyhedra
Notes on further 3D possibilities
