Day 148: Spiral hunt with Fibonacci
Weâre headed outside to explore the patterns of nature. Why do some things just get bigger, while others expand through spirals? Where can you find spirals inside your home and out?
Though itâs too cold for many of you to explore the backyard (sorry donât mean to rub that inâŠwait, maybe I do), we went on a hunt for snails yesterday. We found spirals on pinecones and snail shells outside. Inside we had some seashells and even found spiral shapes on us (Can you guess where)?
To further connect to the spiral concept, we decided to make Stromboli (rolled up canned pizza dough filled with ham and cheese) served with fruit roll ups for dinner. More spirals!
The mathematical explanation of this growth pattern was observed over 800 years ago by an Italian named Leonardo de Pisa. Most people call him Fibonacci (pronounced fib-o-nawch-ee). From Mensa for Kids, hereâs a few fun facts about this spiral loving mathematician, that are appropriate for a 4th grade challenge math discussion.
Fibonacciâs work led him to this sequence of numbers: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 ⊠Can you figure out what the next number in the sequence will be? We call this the Fibonacci sequence, and the numbers are called Fibonacci numbers. To get the next number in the sequence, you add the previous two numbers together.
Look at this picture of arcs and rectangles. Each larger rectangle is about the same size as the two previous rectangles added together. Getting the pattern?
Nature is full of Fibonacci numbers and the Fibonacci sequence.
I think itâs enough for younger kids just to ponder the number sequence and go on a shape scavenger hunt. But for older kids, a full Mensa mathematical equation and arc building exercise is found here.
Jayneâs Book Recommendations:Â Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Beth Krommes (Houghton Mifflin 2011) is a poetic ode to spirals. A Caldecott medalist and a Newbery Honor-winning poet celebrate the beauty and value of spirals.What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful?
Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese and illustrated by John O'Brien (Henry Holt and Company 2010) From Booklist,âGrade 2â5âLeonardo does his math problems so quickly that he has plenty of time to look out the window and count other things in nature. His teacher, however, chastises him for daydreaming and the other students call him a "blockhead.â Only his fatherâs advisor, Alfredo, understands that Leonardo has a fascination with numbers, a love that will eventually help him become the âgreatest Western mathematician in the Middle Ages.ââ
And these are some really cool links to other fun with Fibonacci: Â http://themindunleashed.org/2015/04/this-animation-of-the-fibonacci-sequence-will-take-your-breath-away.html
and   https://vimeo.com/116582567














