PAMPANGA COLLEGES

COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

MODULE in GE 4

MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Submitted by:

ROQUE S. QUIAMBAO
Instructor

Submitted to:

BASILIA G. SUNGA, Ed.D

Dean of Colleges

Noted by:

SALVADOR B. MALIG JR. Ph.D

Dean of Academic Affairs
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

A. Modular Title: Nature of Mathematics

B. Time Frame: Four (4) Hours
C. Materials: Syllabus, Textbook, References, Online Resources

I. Overview

The module aims to introduce, appreciate and understand the nature of mathematics involving
patterns. As rational creatures, we tend to identify and follow patterns, whether consciously or sub-
consciously. It begins on what mathematics really is, where it is, and what role does it play in our world.

II. Desired Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the learner should be able to:

(1) Argue about the nature of mathematics, what it is, how it is expressed, represented and used.
(2) Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world.
(3) Discuss the concept of Fibonacci and its application
(4) Appreciate the nature and uses of mathematics in everyday life.
(5) Articulate the importance of mathematics in one’s life.
(6) Express appreciation for mathematics as a human endeavor
(7) Support the use of mathematics in various aspects and endeavors in life

III. Content/Discussion/Learning Resources/Links

Lesson1.1 Nature of Mathematics

What is Mathematics?

Mathematics is an exact science defined as the study of numbers and arithmetic operations. Others
view it as a science which involve logical reasoning, drawing conclusions from assumed parameters,
following reasons based on accepted rules, laws or probabilities. Mathematics is also considered as an art
which studies patterns for predictive purposes or a specialized language dealing with forms, size and
quantities.

The emergence of digital technology has sparked a monumental rise in the rate at which we
consume and produce data. Before the internet, it could take hours to get several volumes of resources from
the library for a research paper. Today, a few minutes (or seconds) using your mobile device’s browser
could get you the same information, or even more. A few decades ago, it took hours for photographs to be
printed and shared. Now, it only takes a matter of seconds for your perfect selfie to be uploaded and viewed
by your friends and relatives on the other side of the world.
In this fast-paced society, how often do we stopped to appreciate the beauty of the things around
you? Have you ever paused and pondered about the underlying principles that govern the universe? How
about contemplating about the processes and mechanisms that make our lives easier, if not comfortable?
Most people do the same routine task every day and the fundamental concepts that make these activities
possible are often overlooked.
As rational creatures, we tend to identify and follow patterns. Recognizing patterns feels natural, like
our brain is hardwired to recognize them. Early humans recognize the repeating interval of day and night,
the cycle of the moon, the rising and falling of tides and the changing of the seasons. Awareness of these
patterns allow humans to survive. In a similar fashion, many flora and fauna follow certain patterns such as
the arrangement of leaves and stems in a plant, the shape of a snowflake, the flowers’ petals, or even the
shape of a snail’s shell.
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

Lesson1.2 Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World

What are Patterns?

In the general sense of the word, patterns are regular, repeated or recurring forms or designs. We
see patterns ever day – from the layout of our floor tiles, designs of skyscrapers, to the way we tie our shoe
laces. Studying patterns help students in identifying relationships and finding logical connections to form
generalizations and make predictions.

Here are examples of pattern-seeking behavior of humans from childhood to adulthood:

 A toddler separates blue blocks from red blocks.

 A kindergarten student learns to count.
 A first grade does skip counting.
 A third grader notices that multiples of two are even numbers.
 A sixth grader creates pattern that cover a plane.
 A junior high school student learns that a function is essentially a pattern of how one number is
transformed to another.
 A college biology undergraduate studies the sequence of DNA and proteins.
 A stock trader studies trends in the stock market
 A weatherman makes weather forecasts based on atmospheric patterns.
 A doctor decides who is healthy and who is not by recognizing certain health patterns.
 Patterns are studied because they are everywhere; people just need to learn to notice them.

Patterns are commonly observed in natural objects, such as the six-fold symmetry of snowflakes, the
hexagonal structure and formation of honeycombs, the tiger’s stripes and hyena’s spots, the number of
seeds in a sunflower, the spiral of snail’s shell, and the number of petals of flowers. Humans are hardwired
to recognize patterns and by studying them, we discovered the underlying mathematical principles behind
nature’s designs.

EXAMPLES OF VARIOUS PATTERNS

1. Logic Patterns

Are usually the first to be observed, classifying things for example, comes before numeration. Being able to
tell which things are blocks and which are not precedes learning to count blocks. One kind of logic pattern
deals with the characteristics of various objects while another deals with order. These patterns are seen on
aptitude tests and abstract reasoning tests in which takers are shown a sequence of pictures and asked to
select which figure comes next among several choices.

Let’s look at this pattern:

?
What do you think will be the next face in the sequence? It should be easy enough to note that the pattern is
made up of two faces with a heart – one has a big heart while the other one has a smaller heart. Beginning
with the face with smaller heart, the two faces then alternate. Logically, the face that should follow is
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

Example 1. What Comes Next?

A B
Example 2. What is the next figure in the given pattern?

A B

2. Number Patterns

Number pattern is a pattern or sequence in a series of numbers that generally establishes a common
relationship between all numbers and follow a certain rule. Number patterns such as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, are
familiar to the students since they are among the first patterns encountered in schools. Mathematics is
especially useful when it helps to predict events. With the given pattern, a 10 th number or any nth number for
that matter can easily be determined. On the higher level, students may encounter number patterns through
eh concepts of patterns which is a formal description of the relationships among different quantities.

Example 1. What number comes next in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,___ ?

Example 2. What number comes next in 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ___ ?

Example 3. What number comes next in 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, ___ ?

Example 4. What number comes next in 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13, ___ ?

Example 5. Find the 3 last terms of the sequence given

0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, ____, ____, ____

11, 17, 23, 29, 35, 41, 47, 53, ____, ____, ____

18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3, ____, ____, ____

3. Geometric Patterns

Geometric pattern is a design that depicts all abstract non-representational geometric figures/shapes such
as lines, circles, ellipses, triangles, rectangles, and polygons and that are typically arranged in a repeated
fashion. Visual patterns are observed in nature and in art. In arts, patterns present object in a consistent and
regular manner while patterns in nature are often more chaotic.
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

Examples of Geometric Patterns in Nature

The most important example of geometry in everyday life is formed by the nature surrounding humans. If
one looks closely, one might find geometrical shapes and patterns in leaves, flowers, stems, roots, bark and
the so on. The organization of the human digestive system as a tube within a tube also ascertains the role of
geometry. The leaves on the trees are varying shapes, sizes and symmetries. Different fruits and vegetables
have different geometric shapes.

Patterns also exhibited in the external appearance of animals. Animals can be identified based from the
patterns they have. Some animals have the same form and belong to the same family like the tiger and
the leopard. The difference between them is that the tiger has a striped-like patterns while the leopard
has spot-like patterns. The seemingly random design of animals are believed to be governed by
mathematical equations.
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

Symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary line across and object and the resulting parts are
mirror images of each other. There are other types of symmetry depending on the number of sides or
faces that are symmetrical.
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

Spiral Patterns

Technology

The most common example of geometry in everyday life is technology. Be it robotics or computers or video
games, geometry is applied to almost all the underlying concepts. The computer programmers are able to
work because the concept of geometry are always at their disposal. The virtual world of video games is
creaed ony because the geometric computation help in designing of the complex graphics of the video
games. Raycasting, the process of shooting, employs a 2-D map for stimulating the 3-D world of the video
games. Raycasting helps in increasing processing as the calculations are carried out for the vetical lines on
the screen.

Homes

Geometry does not leave even a single chance to play a significant role in homes as well. The windows,
doors, beds, chairs, tables, TV, mats, rugs, cushion, etc. have different shapes. Moreover, bedsheets, quilts,
covers, mats, carpets have different geometric patterns on them. Geometry is also important in cooking. The
chef needs to add all the ingredients in accurate proportions and ratio to put forth a delicious dish. Also,
while organizing a room, each and every space is utilized to make the room look more appealing. A house is
made to look more presentable by using vases, paintings and various decorative pieces, which are of
different geometric shapes and have different patterns made on them.
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

4. Word Patterns

Patterns can also be found in language like the morphological rules in pluralizing nouns or conjugating verbs
for tense, as well as the metrical rules of poetry. Each of these examples supports the mathematical and
natural language understanding. The focus here is patterns in form and in syntax, which lead directly to the
study of language in general and digital communication in particular.

Example 1.

Doctor: Hospital : __________________ : school

Manila: Philippines : __________________ ; South Korea

Heart: Circulatory System : Brain: ___________________

Example 2

knife: knives life: lives wife: _______________

fly: flies city: cities baby: ______________

hero: heroes echo: echoes potato: _____________

Example 3 are words that are linked by a letter pattern and meaning

A. sign – from Latin signum to mark, indicate, a symbol sign as in

signal, signpost, signature, design, resign, assign, significant
B. real
reallity, realize, really, unrealistic
C. ped – from Latin for foot
pedicure, pedestrian, pedal, pedestal, expedition
 PAMPANGA COLLEGES
COLLEGIATE DEPARTMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GE 4 – Mathematics in the Modern World
1st Semester | AY 2022 – 2023

D. rupt – from Latin for broken

rupture, interrupt, disruption, eruption, bankrupt, corrupt, abrupt
E. terr- from Latin terra for earth, land, ground
terrain, territory, subterranean, Mediterranean, extra-terrestrial
F. ject - from Latin for throw
reject, rejection, projection, projectile, dejection, objection, adjective

It cannot be overstated that it is important to understand how mathematics is regarded as the study of
patterns to become familiar with some of those patterns and to use them in daily life. For most people,
learning mathematics as an abstract concept before understanding how to use it does not work. More effort
must be exerted to expose students to mathematical patterns in various contexts before, during and after its
introduction in the subject.