MODULE 1

THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICS

LESSON I
MATHEMATICS IN NATURE

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 identify patterns and sequence in nature,

 identify Fibonacci sequence in nature,
 determine the nth term of Fibonacci sequence,
 use the golden ratio in appreciating mathematics in human anatomy,
 show creative skills thru drawing the resemblance of patterns, golden
ratio and Fibonacci sequence.

INTRODUCTION

Nothing can beat the beauty of nature. God created nature with a
purpose. It is there for people to appreciate, admire and discover a lot of
things. One need not acquire technical skills in mathematics to recognize the
presence of mathematics in nature and to notice the beauty of mathematical
patterns in our natural world.
In nature, we can find Mathematics. Finding mathematics in nature
may seem less obvious at a first glance. But if one takes the time to study
one’s surroundings, Mathematics reveals hidden patterns that help individuals
to understand nature around us. And, if one takes time to examine nature,
then one can describe its beauty mathematically. It would be through
Mathematics that we would discover secrets of nature’s patterns.
.

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 ACTIVITY 1: INTERVIEW

Direction: Interview three of your friends about the photos

below. Ask them what kind of mathematics is involved.

Friend 1:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 2:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 3:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Sunflower(burpee.com-in stock)

Friend 1:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 2:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 3:
_____________________________
Honeycomb(calculate.org.au) _____________________________

Friend 1:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 2:
_____________________________
_____________________________
Tiger(laketobias.com)

Friend 3:
_____________________________
_____________________________

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 Friend 1:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 2:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 3:
Snail(greenarea.me)
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 1:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Friend 2:
_____________________________
_____________________________

Snowflakes(taps.org)
Friend 3:
_____________________________
_____________________________

ANALYSIS

Direction. Based from the interview, summarize the idea

and concept that you gather of the relationship of
mathematics and the nature.

Sunflower

Honeycomb

Tiger Stripes

Snail Shell

Snowflakes

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 ABSTRACTION

Doing the activity and analysis, one will be surprised to

discover that mathematics was not invented by humans,
but it is a universal language. One can appreciate nature more deeply as one
uses nature to express themselves. The activity and analysis above made the
individual discover the relationship of mathematics and nature.

Patterns and Numbers in Nature

Patterns are regular, repeated or recurring forms or designs we see

every single day, from the look and layout of floor tiles, designs of buildings or
malls, and even to the way we tie our shoelaces. Patterns indicate a sense of
structure or organization, that it would seem only humans are capable of
producing these intricate, creative and amazing formations. It is from this
perspective that some people see an “intelligent design” in the way that nature
is created.

Snowflakes

The Philippines is a tropical

country, hence, we don’t experience
snow. As such, we cannot look into
the beauty of snowflakes. And, a
snowflake is just one example where
we see the beauty of Mathematics.
Looking at the picture on the right,
we see the intricate crystalline
structures and patterns of snowflakes Faculty of Science I Symmetry of Snowflakes (warwick.ac.uk)

which are beautiful and fascinating.

Snowflakes are single ice crystals that often exhibit a six-fold symmetry. The
temperature of the air and humidity where the snowflake forms determine the
type of snowflakes. (News from Mathnasium of Littleton, 2016). This will tell
us that no two snowflakes are alike, hence, snowflakes are unique. The
hexagonal structure and symmetry of the snowflakes are the features that
make them important objects for mathematicians. (Kayaspor, 2018).

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Honeycomb
Bees are considered to be
excellent mathematicians. People
have long wondered how bees,
despite their very small size, are able
to produce honeycombs, the
structure and shape of which is a
marvel of nature’s design. Humans
on the other hand, would generally
need the use of a ruler and a
The Geometry and Algebra of Honeycomb compass to accomplish the same
calculate.org.au
feat. The honeycombs’ formation
enables the bees’ colony to maximize their storage of honey using the
smallest of amount of wax. The bees instinctively choose the hexagonal
shape because of the compactness of its structure and this shape and
formations are more optimal in making use of the available space. Marcus
Terentius Varro, one of Rome’s greatest scholars, proposed that a
construction made out of hexagon is more compact. The bees, indeed, are
able to find the best solution to store their honey, making them excellent
mathematicians.

Zebra’s Stripes and Cheetah’s Spots

The picture below exhibits patterns in the appearances of animals. A
particular example is the pattern of hair colors that give cheetahs their spots
and zebras their stripes. These patterns of hair colors are believed to be
governed by mathematical equations. Alan Turing, the famous code-breaker
and mathematician, puts the idea how patterns, such as how stripes and
spots are formed, in his theory of activator-inhibitor model. It is the chemical
reaction and diffusion processes in cells which determine these growth
patterns. The explanation to why some species grow horizontal stripes while
others grow vertical stripes was addressed by the latest studies. The local
patterns produced by the different chemical processes will repeat given a
larger space like the fur of an animal. This is the logic that the new model
follows. (Aufmann, et.al.,2018)

Cheetah Zebra
livescience.com zlivescience.com

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The Sunflower
If you look closer at the
sunflower, you will notice a
mathematical marvel in its
definite pattern of spirals
extending outside from the
center, or its clockwise and
counterclockwise arc. This is
another presentation of nature
working to optimize available
spaces; a hidden
mathematical rule of shaping
life’s pattern in nature.
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/612208143077845767/
Maximizing the sunflower
seeds’ access to light and needed nutrients is the main reason why they
occupy the flower head in such arrangement (Aufmann et.al, 2018)

Flower Petals

fabulousfibonacci.blogsport.com minxtech.wordpress.com foodcorps.org reddit.com

woodlandessence.com naturehills.com minxtech.wordpress.com homestratosphere.com

Flowers are things of beauty and they convey messages. Their vibrant colors
and fragrant odors make them very appealing as gifts or decorations. Flowers
are also considered beautiful mathematics. They display figures adorned with
numbers of petals. Looking at the flowers above, you will note that each
species had different numbers of petals. Flowers like the white calla lily with
only one petal, euphorbia with two petals, trillium with three petals,
columbine with five petals, bloodroot with eight petals, blacked eyed susan
with thirteen petals, shasta daisy with 21 petals and the common daisies
with thirty-four petals. These numbers are all Fibonacci numbers.

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 APPLICATION (Journal Writing)

This is how you will be evaluated.

Rubric:
 The student is unable to elicit the ideas and concepts from the
readings. (1pt)
 The student can elicit the ideas and concepts from the readings. (2pts)
 The student can elicit the ideas and concepts from the readings
correctly and accurately. (3pts)
 The student not only elicits the correct ideas from the readings but also
shows evidence of internalizing it. (4pts)
 The student elicits the correct ideas from the readings, shows evidence
of internalizing it and consistently contributes additional thoughts of
application of mathematics in nature. (5pts)

Direction: Limit your composition inside the box to a maximum of 100 words.

What realization/s did you gain from the abstraction?

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 ACTIVITY 2: Garden Walk

Direction: Visit a garden

(your garden, neighbor’s garden, or the
garden park in your community) and start
counting leaves and petals to see what
you find. In doing this activity, make sure
to follow the IATF protocol on wearing
face mask and maintaining one to two
meters physical distancing. Write your
result on this form.

Plant Name or Description:

Do the Leaves Grow in Spirals? Y / N

Count a group of Leaves:
How many leaves ? ______

Are There Flowers? Y / N

How many petals on Flower 1: ______
Flower 2: ______
Flower 3: ______

From the activity, one can say that “the beauty of math is embedded in
nature” (Mihai Andrei, 2019). Leaves, branches and petals can grow in spiral
form and shapes. Plant leaves and petals of flowers have always fascinated
by mankind. And mathematicians, in particular, have been fascinated with the
patterns of these creations of nature. Fibonacci numbers are seen in petals of
flowers, growth of trees, growth of stems, and fruits. This means that
everywhere in nature you can find this series.

Number of petals of a flower like 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and 34 are

Fibonacci numbers. It is named after the Italian Mathematician Leonardo of
Pisa, whose nickname was Fibonacci. Let’s look into the pattern of Fibonacci
Sequence below.

Term (Fn) 0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34
Term
Number (n) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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What is the 10th term? ___________

How did you solve the 10th term?

______________________________________________________________

Can you describe the pattern of the Fibonacci Sequence?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

Each number in the Fibonacci sequence is the sum of the two number
before it. To get the 7th term which is 13, the fifth term and the sixth term are
added. So, 5 + 8 = 13.

Find the 13th to 17th term of the Fibonacci Sequence.

a.) 13th term: ____________

b.) 14th term: ____________
c.) 15th term: ____________
d.) 16th term: ____________
e.) 17th term: ____________

The ratio of a Fibonacci number to the number before it in the

sequence approaches the Golden Ratio. That is a mathematical fact as well
as any Fibonacci number can be represented by Binet’s Formula. It is a
general formula that incorporates the Golden Ratio.

One may use the Binet’s Formula in finding the nth term of a Fibonacci
Sequence. And, it may take you an hour to find the 24th term of the Fibonacci
Sequence.

Binet’s Formula
𝒏 𝒏
𝟏 + √𝟓 𝟏 − √𝟓
( 𝟐 ) −( 𝟐 )
𝑭𝒏 =
√𝟓
where n= nth term

Example:
Find the 24th term:
24 24
1 + √5 1 − √5
( 2 ) −( 2 )
𝐹24 =
√5

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 (1.618)24 − (−0.618)24
𝐹24 =
√5

103629.741 − 0.00000963
𝐹24 =
2.2360679774997

103629.74099037
𝐹24 =
2.2360679774997

𝐹24 = 46368

Find the following terms of the Fibonacci Sequence using the calculator
following the Binet’s Formula.

a.) 42th term: ____________________

b.) 53th term: ____________________
c.) 62th term: ____________________

The Golden Ratio

Leonardo da Vinci was also known

for his Vitruvian Man. It was one of the
most important works of the Italian
Renaissance. According to Vitruvius
(1492), the 15th century drawing was also
known as “the proportions of the human
body”. (Esmeralda A. Manlulu and Liza
Marie M. Hipolito, 2019)
Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings of
the human body emphasized its
proportion. The ratio of the following
distances is of the Golden Ratio: (foot to
navel); (navel to head) (Guillermo, et. al.,
2018)
The golden ratio is about 1.618, The Vitruvian Man-by Leonardo da Vinci
leonardodavinci.net
and represented by the Greek letter phi
(∅ 𝒐𝒓𝝋)

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 ANALYSIS

Discover how golden ratio is evident on human body.

1. Measure your arm, starting from the shoulder

down to the end of your hand. Let denote this
as A.
2. Measure the length of the lower part of your arm
(from the elbow to the end of your hand). Let
denote this as B.
3. Record your measurements in a table, such as
the one given below.
4. Find the ratio of the two measurements (A/B).
5. Measure some other people’s ratios (your family
members, friends and other relatives)

Person A= (length of B= length of Ratio Difference

Measured full arm lower arm between A:B
shoulder to (elbow to end of A/B and the
end of hand) hand) Golden Ratio
(1.618)
Me

1. What can you say about your ratio and the other people’s ratios that
you got?
________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

2. How close are the different body measurements to the Golden Ratio?
________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

3. What new ideas did you learn from this analysis?

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

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 ABSTRACTION

The ratio of two numbers is

how a Golden Ratio is
expressed. It can also be
visualized geometrically as a
rectangle perfectly formed by
a rectangle and a square,
which can be infinitely
repeated inside each section.
Shapes and figures are
generally considered
science.howstuffworks.com
aesthetically pleasing when
they bear this proportion. Because of this, this ratio is evident in many pieces
of art and architecture like the painting of the Mona Lisa and in the structure of
the Notre Dame Cathedral (Aufmann, et. al, 2018).

Mona Lisa Notre Dame Catheral

Pinterest.com The Golden Ratio: Phi, 1.618

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 APPLICATION

Draw resemblance of pattern, golden ratio and

Fibonacci sequence.

A pattern can be found in nature and almost everywhere you care to

look. For example, the seeds of sunflower, snowflakes, shape of the
honeycomb, stripes and spots of an animal and among others.

The Fibonacci Sequence is 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, …

The golden ratio is about 1.618, and represented by the Greek letter
phi (∅ 𝒐𝒓𝝋).

Binet’s Formula
𝒏 𝒏
𝟏 + √𝟓 𝟏 − √𝟓
( 𝟐 ) −( 𝟐 )
𝑭𝒏 =
√𝟓
where n= nth term

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 MODULE 1
THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICS

LESSON II
NUMBERS AND PATTERNS

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 describe patterns in a sequence,

 examine the nature and relationship of numbers in a sequence,
 determine the nth term of a number sequence,
 generate a pattern to form a number sequence.

INTRODUCTION
A sequence is a list of finite or infinite numbers in a special order
which form a pattern. Take for example the Fibonacci sequence, it
is considered as an infinite sequence. Infinite sequence follows a specific
mathematical pattern with no end. A finite sequence has a definite number of
terms in a specific order/pattern. Number patterns are generally a pattern that
establishes a rule and a common relationship between all numbers.

DESCRIBE ME NUMBER ACTIVITY

Describe the pattern of each sequence.

1.) 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, … _____________________________

2.) 13, 26, 39, 52, 65, … _____________________________
3.) 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, … _____________________________
4.) 37, 33, 29, 25, 21, … _____________________________
5.) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, … _____________________________

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 A pattern may have list of numbers that are useful to predict what came
before or what might come after a set of a numbers. This set of numbers
follows certain rules and with the numbers arranged in a particular order. This
arrangement of numbers is called a sequence. Each number in a sequence is
called term.
To get the succeeding terms in a sequence, one may add a constant
number. There are also terms in other sequences that are increasing because
the number to be added is increasing. On the other hand, there are number
patterns whose terms are decreasing, because the number to be added is
decreasing in an expected way.

Example 1:
Generating the next term in a pattern, Examples
the number to be added is
Repeating 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, …
Increasing 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, …
Decreasing 80, 70, 61, 53, 46, …

Example 2:
Pattern Rule Proof
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Add 1 1+1= 2+1=3+1=4+1=5
70, 55, 40, 25, 10 Subtract 15 70-15=55-15=40-15=25-15=10

ANALYSIS (Think – Quest)

Write the next number in the sequence. Then, write what the
pattern is for that sequence

1. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, ____ _____________________________

2. 4, 14, 24, 34, 44, 54, ___ _____________________________
3. 52, 43, 34, 25, 16, 7, ___ _____________________________
4. 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, ___, ____ _____________________________
5. 2, 13, 8, 19, 14, 25, ___, ____ _____________________________
6. 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, ____ _____________________________
5 5 5 5 5 5

Write the next number in each sequence according to the rule.

1. Add 8 46, __, __, __, __

2. Subtract 14 __, __, 73, __, __

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 ABSTRACTION

Write the next four terms of the following sequences

1.) 5, 12, 19, 26, 33, 40, …. Answer: _______________

2.) 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 18, 24, …. Answer: _______________
3.) 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, 37, …. Answer: _______________
4.) 70, 60, 51, 43, 36, 30, …. Answer: _______________
5.) 1, 11, 23, 37, 53, 71, …. Answer: _______________
2 2 2 2 2 2
6.) 17, 23, 29, 35, 41, 47, …. Answer: _______________
7.) 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, …. Answer: _______________
5 7 9 11 13 15
8.) 76, 83.5, 91, 98.5, 106, 113.5, …. Answer: _______________
9.) 3, 5, 9, 15, 23, 33, …. Answer: _______________
10.) 89, 87, 83, 77, 69, 59, …. Answer: _______________

APPLICATION

Create a sequence that satisfies the given condition and prove.

1. The eleventh term is 19.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

2. The first term is 13.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

3
3. The third term is .
5
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

The pattern of a number sequence is arranged according to order and

rules. Each number in a sequence is called term. To generate the next
term of some sequences, a constant number is added, the number to
be added increases, or the number to be added decreases.

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 MODULE 1 – ASSESSMENT

1. Given Fib(30) = 832,040 and Fib(28) = 317,811, what is Fib(29)?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

2. Find the next term in the sequence: 9, 17, 25, 33, 41, ______.

3. Find the missing term in the following sequence: 32, ____, 40, ____,
48, 52, 56.

4. What is the next three terms of the sequence: 12, 11, 9, 6, 2, ____,
____, _____.

5. Find the 9th term of the sequence: 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ….

Answer:____

6. Find the 37th term of the Fibonacci Sequence.

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

7. What is the 17th term of the Fibonacci Sequence?

8. Find the next two terms in the sequence: 7, 2,10, 3, 13, 4, 16, 5, 19, 6,
____, _____.

9. How will you describe the number pattern: 24, 23, 27, 26, 30, 29,…?

10. Consider Fib(3) = 2. What do you notice about every third Fibonacci
number, i.e. Fib(6), Fib(9), Fib(12),…?

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II. Write a Poem on Mathematics and Nature

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