Teacher's Guide for:
Beautiful Mathematics: it's Omnipresent
by Doug Burbank
Introduction - Overview - Vision - What ifs - Additional Links
Introduction
Students always seem to ask, "Why do I have to learn math?" and "When am I ever going to use this?" Well, they may never have to factor a trinomial or solve a system of quadratic equations but math is much, much more than that. Mathematics is everywhere, it's omnipresent. To truly appreciate and understand nature, art, and music one needs to appreciate math.
Use this WebQuest to introduce younger high school math students to help them appreciate the beauty mathematics. It is a good introduction to the magic of math, in particular Phi. It can be used as an on going side activity culminating with the final project due at the end of the semester or term.
It is my hope that this WebQuest will spark an appreciation for this subject and for the student to realize that math isn't a subject all by itself, it's everywhere.
Introduction - Overview - Vision - What ifs - Additional Links
Overview
Main Topic: Mathematics it's beautiful. Subtopics: The Golden Ratio, Fibonacci, Art, Nature Grade Level: High School Subject(s): Mathematics Learning Goal: Developing an appreciation for the larger picture and making cross curricular connections.
Introduction - Overview - Vision - What ifs - Additional Links
Vision and Reality
If the learning goal were achieved in the most ideal of perfect worlds it would look something like:
Students see and understand the beautiful interconnectiveness between art, nature, and mathematics. Students understand that mathematics is more than just a rigid fixed curriculum and will find themselves looking for connections in unexpected places. Students will be fully aware of the inseparable relationship of mathematics and the surrounding world. Students are actively involved in the online math forum engaging in critical thought.
However, what I anticipate probably looks more like:
In the world of overspecialization, much of education and student information deals with discrete bits of information rather than large systems. Art and Mathematics are disciplines seen as polarities without connections.
Introduction - Overview - Vision - What ifs - Additional Links
The What - If Inventory
To give the activity its best chance at helping students learn, I assembled this list of possible resources:
Software: Presentation software,i.e. Powerpoint; Macromedia Director, Dreamweaver, and Flash; Adobe Photoshop; Microsoft Office 2000
Hardware: A portable projection unit; Computers with Internet access, four per group.
E-mail for collaboration and sharing with other geometry/art students and teachers locally and globally. The web to publish geometric art and demonstrate possible interactive web activity.
Students should be able to freely collaborate with students in science, music, and art. Students should access to the studio art space.
A space to display The Team Phi Beta Kappa Art Exhibit.
Introduction - Overview - Vision - What ifs - Additional Links
Additional Links on the subject of Phi:
The Fibonacci Quarterly
THE site devoted to Fibonacci and The Golden Section
Don Cohen, alias the Mathman has some interesting samples of his workbooks on the Web
John Harris of Canada has been working for over 30 years on some aspects of astronomy - in particular, a rejection of Bode's Law (an ad hoc scheme to explain the mean distances of the planets from the sun). His own research involves Phi to make sense of the statistics of orbits, and it involves Phi!Other Quests:
A Quest For The Sacred Golden Pineapple, Pine Cone and Artichoke
ThinkQuest: An excellent student project
Introduction - Overview - Vision - What ifs - Additional Links
Back to WebQuest
Introduction - Question - Phi 101 - Private Phi - Team Phi - Conclusion
Rubric - Teacher - Feedback - Online Dictionary
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created by Doug
Burbank email: ibhavingfun@hotmail.com |