Math In Nature Project
Looking for patterns and form are part of being human. People search
for patterns and form – and usually find them. We seek familiar forms
in clouds and shadows. A drifting cloud could be a horse’s head, or an
elephant, or a fish. This project emerges from the human tendency to
look for patterns and form. We will experiment with and explore
patterns and form in nature using examples from the artistry of
photographer William Neill. His work invites us to discover and
appreciate natural forms. These examples will help us learn to notice the
underlying unity in the diversity of nature. Once we have become aware
of these patterns and forms in nature, we will develop our own gallery of
natural patterns and forms using photography as our medium. It is hoped
that this project will help us gain a perceptual sensitivity that makes us
aware of things we had never noticed before.
The math concepts that will be focused on for this project are:
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Students will connect a visual analysis of objects with math.
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Students will recognize basic geometric shapes and their
relationship in nature.
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Students will develop a basic understanding of spirals and helixes,
spheres and explosions, branching, packing and cracking and their
relationships to objects in nature.