Teacher instructions

10 minutes - Tune in: Seeing Maths in nature
15 minutes - Find out: Making natural connections
25 minutes - Take action: Finding maths in nature
10 minutes - Reflection: Sharing findings

Tune in: Seeing maths in nature

Step 1. Show the images of nature on an interactive TV or integrated board. Invite the students to look at the images and explore the idea that these images prompt mathematical thinking. You could ask students to answer the questions on the Student Worksheet if you like.

Image 1. Pineapple.

How might we use maths to better describe the pineapple? Think: How many spines does it have? Do pineapples have patterns?

Image 2. Sunflower.

How might we use maths to better understand the sunflower seed head? Think: Are there patterns in the image? Which shapes can be seen?

Image 3. Bird in flight.

How might we use maths to better understand the bird in flight? Think: Is the bird symmetrical? Do they have the same amount of feathers on their left wing as they do on their right?

Find out: Making natural connections

Step 1. Watch the clip to discover: Who is Dr Chris Matthews? What does he see in nature?

Dr Chris Matthews – changing our mindsets in how we see maths to enable children’s curiosity - Queensland Department of Education (https://youtu.be/2H1pHCXcTrE) 3:13 mins

Step 2. You could discuss these talking points with students or ask them to complete answers in the Student worksheet.

What does Chris use to inspire students to see maths?
Where does Chris say you can find maths in nature? (Name 3)
What do you think the relationship between maths and storytelling is?

Step 3. Focus on the mathematical insights that come when we look at animals, insects and plants. Ask students to work in pairs or small groups. They will search for an insect, plant or animal. They are to study their image and annotate it in terms of the mathematical thinking it has prompted.

Display this image of a centipede as an example and discuss it in mathematical terms:

Image 4. A South Australian centipede.

Mathematical insights about the centipede:

It has two antennae on its head and two stingers at the end of its body.
The centipede is symmetrical: It has 20 legs on either side of its body (it is a myth that all centipedes have 100 legs)
The centipede has 20 back scales that feature the same two-tone pattern.

Step 4. Have students share their findings with the class.

Extension: Dr Chris talks about shapes, patterns and spirals in nature. These mathematical features have been observed by indigenous peoples of various cultures for thousands of years. More recently European explanations of natural sequences or patterns in nature are explained in the Fibonacci sequence.

Watch this clip to see how the Fibonacci sequence can be seen:

"Math in the World Around Us: Fibonacci Sequence" by Adventure Academy (youtu.be/ihxJN6ZC9HE) 2.58 minutes

Finding Fibonacci: Patterns in nature have been observed over time. Fibonacci developed a mathematical relationship of what was observed in nature. A sequence that follows 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34. The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it. We can observe these spiral patterns in flowers (number of petals), seed heads (sunflowers), spirals in shells, in the spiral shape of cyclones and even in the spiral galaxies above.

Take action: Finding maths in nature

Note: The activity in Take Action can be run in groups or as an individual task. Smaller groups of students (2-3) work best for this session. Students could use the App- Explain Everything to go further and discuss the maths concepts.

Step 1. Choose an appropriate outside space to undertake the activity. Make sure the space is easy to access, safe and has natural features; trees, leaves, grasses etc. Define the area you would like them to investigate.

Encourage the students to look at the natural space and find the hidden maths. Look closely, and bring magnifying glasses (if possible). Step back and look up. What can you see? Allow a quick open-ended exploration of maths in nature. See if the students can find natural maths, counting sequences in flowers, counting petals, stems from branches or other patterns in nature.

Step 2. Gather the students back together, and ask a few students to share what they found that is an example of natural maths. Help the students make connections by talking about the maths that they have seen, remind them to count, identify patterns and look for spiral shapes.

Step 3. Provide the students with digital devices (working in pairs or individuals based on the number of devices).

Encourage the students to create two nature maths video clips or photographs: The students can:

Take photographs of the natural maths item and make recordings using the video settings

Alternatively:

Use the Explain Everything App to enhance the students' natural maths digital learning. The Explain Everything App allows students to upload photographs of natural items found in the schoolyard.
They can use the in-app functions:
- Image: Capture an image of the natural maths found.
- Draw: Draw or annotate over the image with a drawing function (clearly showing the patterns or counting sequence they identified i.e legs of insects, spiral shapes, petals of flowers).
- Voice: Share a recording to explain the maths concept seen in nature.

Great clips will include a clear photo or video with an audio recording of the students sharing the maths that they see.

Reflection

Bring the class back inside to share the maths that they found in nature. Use an interactive TV or integrated board to share these clips or images and any content created on the Explain Everything app.

Differentiated Learning

We trust that teachers are the best equipped to know how to cater to the diversity in their classes. At Cool, we incorporate a variety of differentiation strategies into each lesson. Firstly, each lesson in this unit appeals to an array of different learning preferences. Learning activities can be completed in a number of different ways - if a student feels more comfortable speaking rather than writing, there are opportunities to accommodate this. In lessons that feature group work or learning stations, we trust that teachers will use their discretion in knowing how to best organise their students in accordance with positive working relationships and ability. Graphic organisers and scaffolds are often included so students can ‘visually think’ and keep a record of their work. While our lessons are designed to be 55 - 60 minutes long, we trust that teachers will manipulate lesson and segment times according to the needs of their students.

Seeing Mathematics in Nature

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