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Fun With Fractals

Students will have fun exploring fractals as they identify examples in nature and illustrate an item that depicts a repeating pattern.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Paper
  • Sponge(s)

Steps

  • Step 1

    Fractals are patterns that repeat themselves across different scales. Ask students to identify examples in nature where a small part of something resembles the whole. They might come up with a snowflake (whose structure repeats on multiple scales), romanesco (a vegetable made up of small heads that mimic the larger head), trees (where each branch splits into smaller branches that look like mini versions of the tree), a pineapple (where each portruding "eye" or "fruitlet" reflects a repeating shape), etc.

  • Step 2

    Have students illustrate an image that depicts a fractal pattern. To create the image have students outline the shape of the object they are making. They will cut a shape out of sponge and use it repeatedly to paint the fractal patterns. They can vary the colors of paint as they make the series of splotches by dipping the sponge piece into a few colors and then pressing it on the paper within the outline.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their fractal images and describe the patterns and the techniques they used to create it.

Standards

MATH: Analyze, compare, create, and compose math ideas using written, oral, and drawn lines, shapes, forms, and patterns.

MATH: Analyze, compare, create, and compose math ideas using written, oral, and drawn lines, shapes, forms, and patterns.

Adaptations

Have students create a Sierpinski triangle, which illustrates fundamental fractal principles of repeating patterns. They begin by drawing one large upward facing triangle using a full piece of paper. Then they draw a downward facing triangle within it by connecting the midpoints of the large triangle. They continue to draw and color triangles within triangles until they have a colorful creation.

Read a book such as "Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature" by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell or "Fractals: Seeing Nature's Hidden Dimension" by Sara Deutsch. Have students point out the patterns found in the book. Then challenge them to find other examples of fractals around the classroom or at home.