Interactive Primary Newsletter 35

Interactive Primary Newsletter 35
Nature's Numbers (Fibonacci frolics)

Seeds 'n Shells
We can find the spiral pattern in seed heads also. It is too early in the year for many plants to be making seeds yet. Try and remember to check out the pattern in the centre of your sunflowers (Fig. 7) later in the summer. You might be lucky enough to find some seed heads left over from last year’s plants that you could study.

Pinecones are seed heads from the pine tree and they often show an interesting spiral pattern. If you look carefully you may see two different spiral patterns.

Tip - if you soak a pinecone it will close up, making the spirals easier to see (Fig. 8). This is what makes them useful as weather predictors as they are sensitive to moisture levels in the air.

Figure 7 - Sunflower spirals
Figure 8 - Pine cone spirals

If pineapples are available and not too expensive you can use them to trace interesting spiral patterns round the outside. You should find that you can see spirals going in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions (Fig. 9). Encourage students to look at these patterns of bumps the next time they are in the supermarket and see if they can recognise and point out the arrangement of spirals to their family members. You can find the same spiral patterns in cauliflowers too, going in both directions.

Figure 9 - Pineapple spirals
Figure 11 - Shells from the beach and garden illustrate spirals

Figure 10 - Banana X section

As a consequence of the fact that plant parts are often Fibonacci numbers, when you cut a fruit in half (across the “equator”), you may find that the internal structure with the seeds also shows the Nature’s Numbers pattern. Fig. 10 shows a banana with three sections in the centre. There are lots of common (e.g. apple) and more exotic fruits (sharon fruit) that will also conform to the same number pattern. See how many you find that follow the pattern and how many do not.

The spiral patterns of Fibonacci are not restricted to the Plant Kingdom. One of the most obvious is in the way that some shells grow. Large Nautilus shells show the pattern very well. However as you can see from Fig. 11 garden snail shells and shells found on the beach also show very obvious spiral patterns. These are almost always right handed spirals.

Fibonacci Spiral offer

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Interactive Primary Newsletter 35 Nature's Numbers (Fibonacci frolics)
Seeds 'n Shells We can find the spiral pattern in seed heads also. It is too early in the year for many plants to be making seeds yet. Try and remember to check out the pattern in the centre of your sunflowers (Fig. 7) later in the summer. You might be lucky enough to find some seed heads left over from last year’s plants that you could study. Pinecones are seed heads from the pine tree and they often show an interesting spiral pattern. If you look carefully you may see two different spiral patterns. Tip - if you soak a pinecone it will close up, making the spirals easier to see (Fig. 8). This is what makes them useful as weather predictors as they are sensitive to moisture levels in the air.
Figure 7 - Sunflower spirals	Figure 8 - Pine cone spirals
If pineapples are available and not too expensive you can use them to trace interesting spiral patterns round the outside. You should find that you can see spirals going in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions (Fig. 9). Encourage students to look at these patterns of bumps the next time they are in the supermarket and see if they can recognise and point out the arrangement of spirals to their family members. You can find the same spiral patterns in cauliflowers too, going in both directions.
Figure 9 - Pineapple spirals	Figure 11 - Shells from the beach and garden illustrate spirals
Figure 10 - Banana X section
As a consequence of the fact that plant parts are often Fibonacci numbers, when you cut a fruit in half (across the “equator”), you may find that the internal structure with the seeds also shows the Nature’s Numbers pattern. Fig. 10 shows a banana with three sections in the centre. There are lots of common (e.g. apple) and more exotic fruits (sharon fruit) that will also conform to the same number pattern. See how many you find that follow the pattern and how many do not. The spiral patterns of Fibonacci are not restricted to the Plant Kingdom. One of the most obvious is in the way that some shells grow. Large Nautilus shells show the pattern very well. However as you can see from Fig. 11 garden snail shells and shells found on the beach also show very obvious spiral patterns. These are almost always right handed spirals. Fibonacci Spiral offer