Nature's Patterns

  Romanesco, an heirloom cabbage from Italy.

materials

Almost anything found in nature.

methods

Point out spirals and other patterns you can find in nature. In the example above, the pattern of the growing head of cabbage is repeated in each individual piece as well. You can also lie on the ground, facing up the trunk of a tree, to help point out to children how the branches are positioned off the trunk. The same patterns repeat from smaller branches growing out from the main branches, further and further out to the leaves.

Resources

Find some information and examples of fractals in this article.

Cosmos: The Science of Everything

by Michael Lucy

Lesson plan by Heather Taylor, teachoutside@gmail.com. You are welcome to share all materials with credit to her.