Transforming Faces: The Geometry of Facial Recognition

Transforming Faces: The Geometry of Facial Recognition

Approximate Total Time: 5 class periods (45–60 minutes each)

Recommended for Ages 11–18 (typically U.S. Grades 6–12)

About This Unit

Students explore how mathematics helps artificial intelligence (AI) systems analyze and compare faces. Through hands-on investigations, geometric challenges, and discussions, students learn how translations, rotations, reflections, and dilations can help explain concepts used in facial recognition technology.

Students apply geometric transformations to facial images, investigate the importance of precision and data quality, and examine the benefits and risks of facial recognition systems, including accuracy, bias, fairness, and privacy.

Lessons

1. Machines See in Math
Students explore how facial recognition systems use AI and mathematics to analyze faces and investigate four types of geometric transformations through hands-on activities.

2. Faces on a Grid
Students use coordinate grids to translate and dilate facial images, exploring how mathematical precision helps represent and compare images.

3. Transforming Faces
Students practice reflections and rotations on coordinate grids and explore how geometric transformations help explain the analysis of facial images.

4. Can You ID Me?
Students apply multiple geometric transformations to create facial puzzles and challenge classmates to identify the transformations used.

5. Should We Use Facial Recognition Systems?
Students examine the benefits, limitations, and ethical concerns of facial recognition technology and engage in an evidence-based debate about when and how it should be used.