Mapping Multiplication 

For the mathematic exercise of the My School My Museum program we looked at how visual artists use grids as a method to accurately portray an observation onto a canvas.  The grid system has been used by artists for centuries.  Evedince of this practice dates back to before the Egyptians. The system allows the artist to break down an image into small sections.  Each section is carefully mapped and graphed allowing the artist to visually transfer small pieces of the image in the form of lines, color, value, etc.  to a canvas to create an accurately arragend illustration of the original image.   

Instead of copying a master work, students were allowed to research and find a pixelated design with a minimum of three colors that could easily be tranferred to grid paper.  Using the grid system students would transfer thier design to the gridded paper then use mathematic multiplication equations to create a problem solving picture exercise for a friend.  See the process below.

Once the students completed the page with their design and key, they were given another graphed sheet with a key  (This page will serve as the multiplication problem puzzle for another student to solve).

•  Students duplicated the colored pixel patterns in the key from their completed design sheet.  

• They then repeated the multiplication  problem out to the side of each pixel, however on this shee the answer is not given.

• The answer for each multiplication problem is then placed in one of the graphed squares above which corresponds to the pixel pattern from the completed design.

• Once all of the squares have been filled with answers to the multiplication problems from the key below, students are ready to trade their problem puzzle sheet with another student.

• If all of the squares and and answers have been filled in correctly, the problem puzzle sheet should look identical to the original design sheet!