Intermediate Family Math Newsletter - December 2025

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Activities for December

Problem Solving: Surprising Transformations

 

I took the graph y = 4x + 7 and performed the four transformations shown on the cards below:

Translate down by three units, reflect in the vertical axis, Translate left by two units, Reflect in the horizontal axis

Unfortunately, I can't remember the order in which I carries out the four transformations, but I know that I ended up with the graph y = 4x - 2

Can you find an order in which I could have carried out the transformation?

There is more than one way of doing this - can you find them all?

Can you explain why different orders can lead to the same outcome?

What other lines could I have ended up with if I had performed the four transformations in a different order?

Helpful materials:

Source: Surprising Transformations, nrich


Math Talk

Which One Doesn’t Belong?

Four hearts, three purple one is green.

Source: Which One Doesn’t Belong


Math in the Workplace: Cartographer

 


 

Map and glasses

Cartographers collect, measure, and interpret geographic information to create maps and charts for political, educational, and other purposes. They use information from geodetic surveys and remote sensing systems, including aerial cameras and satellites. A lot of the work they do is increasingly for online and mobile maps.

Source: myBlueprint

Math skills:

  • Understanding Cartesian planes to plot precise locations.
  •  Applying translations, rotations, and scaling to adjust map features.
  • Interpreting and manipulating spatial data for accurate mapping.
  • Calculating distances and angles between geographic points.

Want to learn more about mapping and math? Check out Maps of the Earth resources on Polypad. 

 

 


Parent Resource

The Ontario Curriculum document has a variety of resources to support parents understanding the Mathematics curriculum and subsequent math courses in Secondary schools.


Deliberate Practice

Explore these two websites to build understanding and practice transformations in math.


Spot the Transformations

Transformations can be found everywhere in art. Can you describe the transformations that are in these works of art? 

Day and Night

Title: Day and Night

Artist: M.C Escher (1938)

Image Source: National Gallery of Art

 


 

Observations of Astral World

Title: Observations of Astral World

Artist: Norval Morrisseau (1994)

Image Source: National Gallery of Canada

 


 

Rangoli (2022)

Title: Rangoli (2022)

Artists: Megha Patel and Purvish Patel

Image Source: Godfrey Dean Art Gallery

 


Looking for additional math resources?

Check out our past newsletters for more fun and exciting math games and challenges to do at home.

Family Math Newsletters 2025-26