CONTEXT

In this lesson, students will explore the Fibonacci sequence. They will identify the pattern among the
Fibonacci numbers, look for applications of these numbers, and explore the ways that this pattern can be
related to objects and shapes in both the natural and designed world. 

Science and technology are rich and especially important contexts in which to learn the value of
mathematics and to develop mathematical problem solving skills, but they are not the only ones.
(Benchmarks for Science Literacy, p. 32.) This lesson uses examples from art and architecture, as well as
nature, to reinforce the ideas in the central benchmarks. In grades 3-5, students should be encouraged to
describe all sorts of things mathematically—in terms of numbers, shapes, and operations. In middle
school, students should continue to have opportunities to reflect on the nature of patterns and
relationships in a purely abstract way.

MOTIVATION
In a discussion, have students provide examples of patterns and some of the reasons why it might be
helpful to study them. Tell students that they will investigate a numerical pattern and how it relates to the
world around them. 

Write the following number sequence on the blackboard: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, _. Have students look at this
series of numbers and allow them to guess the next number in the series. Ask students to explain the
pattern or rule that they are following. You may wish to go on to the next activity before showing students
the correct number.

DEVELOPMENT
Tell students that the Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers developed by Leonardo Fibonacci as a
means of solving a practical problem: Fibonacci wanted to determine the rate at which pairs of rabbits
would reproduce.

Refer students to the Fibonacci Sequence student esheet, which will guide them through some online
investigations of the Fibonacci sequence and it's appearance in nature. Some instructional suggestions
regarding these resources are listed here:
 Fibonacci's Rabbits, found on the Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Section in Nature website,
provides text and an illustration related to the Fibonacci sequence. You may wish to print out the page
and use the text and illustration to create a student worksheet depicting the rabbit problem. Distribute the
worksheet to students and have them work with a partner to draw the next 1-2 lines of rabbits. Ask
students to record and share their method for solving the problem. 
 Honeybees and Family Trees is another example of the Fibonacci sequence.
 Petals on Flowers shows how on many plants the number of petals is a Fibonacci number.
Now have students explore Solve the Puzzle of the Seashell Spiral. After students have explored the
puzzle, ask them to work with a partner to generate the next two (or more) numbers in the series, allowing
students to use calculators if desired. Share results as a class. Create a classroom chart of the first ten
numbers in the Fibonacci sequence for future use.
Ask students to answer these questions on the Fibonacci Sequence student sheet: 
 How might knowing this number pattern be useful?
 What kinds of things can the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence represent?

Tell students: Sometimes patterns and relationships are studied simply because they are interesting, and
sometimes because they help solve practical problems. Number patterns also can be studied in relation
to the world in which we live, in order to help us better understand it. For instance, many of the numbers
in the Fibonacci sequence can be related to the things that we see around us.
Refer again to Solve the Puzzle of the Seashell Spiral. Challenge students to draw a "perfect" spiral on a
blank sheet of paper. Allow students to post their drawings and explain the strategy that they used to
create the spiral.
One example of the golden spiral can be found on a seashell. Have students look for other natural
examples of the golden spiral in a seashell, pinecone, pineapple, or cauliflower. For more information on
designing this activity, go to Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Section in Nature. Allow students to
explore the outside world to look for examples of Fibonacci numbers in seed and leaf arrangements,
flowers, and other natural objects.
Ask students to revisit their answers to the following questions, adding or refining their responses based
on what they have learned about patterns in nature:

 How might knowing this number pattern be useful?

ASSESSMENT
The following activities can be used to assess student understanding:

 Ask students to record their answer to the following: Why study patterns? Give an example of
how understanding a numerical pattern might be useful.
 Have students construct a golden spiral using the method of their choice. Then, have them write
about the strategy that they used to construct the spiral and how this relates to Fibonacci numbers. 
 Sometimes mathematicians study patterns in shapes and numbers because they explain how the
world works or because they help to solve practical problems. Can you think of how we can use the
Fibonacci sequence in this way?
 Collect a natural object that can be related to the Fibonacci sequence. Draw a sketch and write
an explanation of how it relates to one or more of the Fibonacci numbers.

EXTENSIONS
For an additional Nature of Mathematics lesson for grades 6-8, go to the Science NetLinks lesson
entitled Finding Satisfactory Solutions.
In the Illuminations lesson Golden Rule, students explore the Fibonacci sequence, examine how the ratio
of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers creates the Golden Ratio, and identify real-life examples of the
Golden Ratio. In this lesson, students will use spreadsheet and geometry sketching programs to explore
the numbers.

For further examples of how the Fibonacci numbers can be related to objects in the designed world, go to
the Golden Section in Art, Architecture and Music. 

Go to Easier Fibonacci Puzzles for activities in which students manipulate objects such as bricks
(substitute blocks and conduct as a hands-on activity), dominoes, and chairs in order to find numerical
patterns and solve the puzzles. All of the puzzles have Fibonacci numbers as their answer.

Biographical information about Italian mathematician Leonardo Pisano, better known by his nickname,
Fibonacci, can be found at the Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci page.

The Fibonacci Sequence for Visual Layout, on the Art Studio Chalkboard site, explains how the Fibonacci
sequence is used in composition.

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