Number Devil Activities: The Sixth Night

The sixth night the Number Devil introduces Robert to Fibonacci, a famous Italian mathematician of the 13th century.

Who is Fibonacci?:

Learn about Fibonacci. Do an internet search to discover four things about Fibonacci:
1) Fibonacci's given name
2) The name of his famous book
3) The kind of number system Fibonacci introduced to the western world
4) The kind of number system Europe used before Fibonacci introduced the new number system

A Bumble Bee's Family Tree:

Bumble bees follow the Fibonacci pattern when they reproduce.  Learn about bumble bees and the Fibonacci sequence at this website.  Study the bees family tree.  The total number of bees in each generation follows the Fibonacci sequence.

Make honey bee no-bake cookies.  Can you line up the bees according to their family tree (see an example at the website sited above or in Fibonacci Fun

Fibonacci Poetry:

Write a poem with a Fibonacci pattern. The Fibonacci sequence determines the number of syllables in each line of the poem. For example, the first and second lines have one syllable, the third line has two syllables, the fourth has three, and the fifth has five.

Check out these poems in Fibonacci sequence.

Find the Fibonacci Sequence in Nature:

Go hunting for the Fibonacci sequence in nature. Petals on a flower are often a number in the Fibonacci sequence. Rows of spirals on a pinecone are a number in the Fibonacci sequence. The branches of a tree or plant sometimes divide following the Fibonacci sequence. Check out this website for a clear description of the Fibonacci sequence in nature. Now, grab a camera and head out the door. Snap a picture each time you find an example of the sequence in nature. No camera? Draw a sketch.

Make a nature craft with one of your finds.  In the spring or summer pick a few flowers that show Fibonacci numbers and make a pressed flower bookmark.  In the fall or winter make a pinecone craft.

Discovering Daisies:

Grow daisies.  Daisies often have 34 or 55 petals (the 9th and 10th Fibonacci numbers).  Plant a daisy seed.  Nurture it until it blooms.  Count the petals on each flower.  Is the number of petals a Fibonacci number?

Fibonacci Fun:

Try some of the activities in Fibonacci FunThese activities are simple enough for a motivated student to do on their own or enjoyable for an entire group to do together.