Reflective Journal- Mathematical art project

 

           Assignment #1 reflective Journal

         When I looked at the earrings art, I felt the pattern was fascinating and wanted to learn more about it. The earrings look beautiful and elegant in a unique way, but I would never know a mathematical concept behind it if I don’t stop and pay attention to it. I think this also one of the purposes for owner Emily Connor who designed them. In her reply to Cheryl’s email, she said, “by interpreting mathematics in different forms and arrangements. We can share mathematics with a wide variety of people and learn more about the mathematics behind our art pieces”. I intend to share the intangible, abstract mathematical ideas blending in arts around us with my students. I believe creating real-world representations of mathematics can raise new questions whose answers have tangible meanings. Mathematical art is especially great for students who might be a little bit wary of mathematics.  

             

         I start to check the Sierpinski triangle pattern used for the pair of earrings. The earrings are made of equilateral triangles and squares with the self-alike never-ending fractal patterns. I have calculated the area and perimeter in the first few iterations and generated the perimeter and area formula. It is then interesting that the remaining perimeter approaches infinity while the area approaches zero after infinity iterations. I extended the mathematical concept from 2D-3D to build a Christmas tree by using a backward procedure of the Sierpinski Triangle. It is 2 iterations Sierpinski project using a total of 16 small tetrahedral prisms and a 3D folding star.  

            I plan to do the 3D Christmas Tree project with my students for learning perimeter and area and reviewing the ratio and fraction concepts in Grade 8 and learning surface area and volume in Grade 9. Through this project, I hope my students can visual and solve the area, perimeter, surface, and volume related to real life. For example, how many color papers we need to buy if we want to build 5 feet tree tall for our Christmas party in class and how many small tetrahedral prisms we need to make together). I plan to introduce the limit concept to challenge them to think about what the final remaining perimeter and area will be and extend the Sierpinski triangle idea to fractal concept and encourage them to find the fractal examples to connect mathematics to nature.

             

 PowerPoint: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1valZX_GzR-THyo3PPtRmC9tK4EdU5lcM/edit#slide=id.p7