Exploring Science through Art
This is an art and science programme for schools at Broad Oak Nature Reserve, Canterbury, Pfizer UK, Sandwich, and in the classrooms of the Kent schools involved - Langdon Primary School and St Saviours School, Westgate on Sea.

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Fibonacci and Spirals
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Diagram of the Fibonacci number sequence

Using coloured squares to make the spiral


Leonardo Fibonacci

 

In 1202 by Leonardo Fibonacci investigated a sequence of numbers that amazingly occurs frequently in nature, eg number of petals on flowers such as Marigolds, Asters and Daisies and cells in bee hives. Can you see how the pattern is generated? What would the next number be?

It can be used to draw a perfect spiral, like that of a Nautilus shell.
The children cut out squares of coloured paper for each number in the sequence (1x1, 1x1, 2x2, 3x3, 5x5 etc) and then arranged them from the centre of the page as shown. By drawing an arc from diagonal to diagonal, a spiral can be made.


Other children chose to use Matisse's snail as inspiration and arranged the squares in a spiral pattern with spaces in between.
Fibonacci numbers

1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144…

Matisse inspired collage