COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Module A
Nature of Mathematics

Name of Student: __________________ Week Number 1&2

Course Code GE 4

I. Objectives:
A. Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world
B. Articulate the importance of mathematics in one’s life.

II. Lesson:
A. Nature of mathematics
● Mathematics is a useful way to think about nature and our world.
● Patterns and regularities in nature
o Everything that you see in our surrounding has patterns. The
pattern can be symmetry, tessellations, fractals, spiral, etc. Click
this link to gain awareness about these different patterns in
nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=dLU78Xyb0io

https://www.slideshare.net/AnnaClariceYanday/mathematics-in-the-mo
dern-world-lecture-1

B. Definitions:
● Patterns are regular repeated or recurring forms or design.
● Symmetry indicates that you can draw an imaginary line across an object
and the resulting parts are mirror images of each other.
● Bilateral symmetry – types of symmetry that the left and right portion are
exactly the same.
● Rotational symmetry – if you rotate an object by several degrees, you can
still achieve the same appearance as the original position.
● Angle of rotation is the smallest angle that a figure can be rotated while
still preserving the original formation.

C. Calculations and Examples:

 Example 1. Snowflakes has six-fold symmetry. What is the angle of
rotation?

III. Activities:
A. Identify the pattern of the following object that you see in your surrounding.
1) Bees : Stripe
2) Human body : Symmetry
3) Window – jalousies : Stripe
4) Mud crack : Crack
5) Gumamela flower : Spiral
B. What comes next in the given pattern?
1) 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36 , 49 , 64
2) A, C, E, G, I, K , M , O
3) 15, 10, 14, 10, 13, 10, 12 , 10 , 11
4) 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, 192 , 384 , 768
5) 41, 39, 37, 35, 33, 31 , 29 , 27

IV. Assessment:
A. What patterns are shown in this object?
1) Frog : Symmetry
2) Electric fan propeller : Spiral
3) Striped shirt : Stripe
4) Wood screw : Spiral
5) Cracked egg shell : Crack

B. What comes next in the given pattern?

1) 2, 5, 9, 14, 20, 27 , 35
2) CSD, ETF, GUH, IVJ, KWL
3) T, T, F, F, S, S, E, E , R , R

C. What is your insight about the patterns and regularities in nature (use your own
words, 5pts)?
In my own perception, patterns and regularities in nature are all about
natural structures that match each other to form specific objects. It is also a
sample of things that the earth is composed of just like symmetries, trees,
waves, cracks and many more.

V. Suggested References
 REX Book Store, Inc. Mathematics in the Modern World. 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=dLU78Xyb0io
https://www.slideshare.net/AnnaClariceYanday/mathematics-in-the-modern-world-lecture-1

Prepared by:

AMADO T. CLEDERA, JR.

Assistant Professor II