Fractals
An MAT Graduate Project
By, Linda Johnson
Fractals – What are they?
▲The term fractal comes
from the Latin fractus
(broken). A fractal is an
object that displays selfsimilarity at any
magnification.
The
Mandelbrot
Set
Julia Sets
The
Sierpinski
Triangle
The Koch Curve/Snowflake
http://ejad.best.vwh.net/java/fractals/koch.shtml
L-Systems
▲The Dragon Curve or
The Jurassic Park Fractal
How are Fractals Used?
Other Applications
▲Estimate
coastlines
▲Authenticate drip
paintings
▲Stock prices on
wall street
▲Image
compression
▲Models for the
branching
structure of plants
Lesson Plans
►I have researched and
categorized web-sites that
have lesson plans for
teaching fractals.
►Copies are included in the
paper and links are included
on the digital format of the
project.
Lesson Plan Links
1. Cynthia Lanius’ Fractals Unit,
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/fractals
2. Fractals and Introduction,
http://ejad.best.vwh.net/java/fractals/intr
o.shtml
3. Geometricarts,
http://geometricarts.googlepages.com/fr
actals
4. The Jurassic Park Fractal,
http://sierra.nmsu.edu/morandi/CourseM
aterials/JurassicParkFractal.html
5. 108 Fractal Lesson Plans Reviewed by
Teachers,
http://www.lessonplanet.com/directory/
Math/Fractals