Everything ready forIC Rende-Quattromiglia to celebrate Fibonacci Day on November 23rd! 11-23, according to the American English way of writing the date, is a combination of numbers that makes up four of the first five numbers of the Fibonacci sequence, a fascinating and mysterious series of numbers that the fourth graders of primary school have explored in a complex educational path dedicated to STEAM.
Who was Leonardo Fibonacci?
Leonardo Fibonacci was born in Pisa around 1170 and is still considered one of the most important mathematicians in history. He was the son of a wealthy merchant and traveled extensively during his youth arriving in Egypt, Syria, Sicily, Greece and even Constantinople. Travelling, Fibonacci learned new mathematical ideas especially from the Arab world and brought these studies to Italy, becoming famous at the court of Emperor Frederick II. His greatest contribution was to have introduced Arabic numerals to Europe, which we use every day today. Before him, Roman numerals were used in Europe, which were more difficult to handle, especially for doing calculations. But what makes him famous is certainly the sequence of numbers that bears his name. Fibonacci died around 1250, but his work still influences mathematics and science today.
The Fibonacci sequence
Each number is the sum of the two previous numbers. It starts like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on. This sequence is very interesting because it occurs recurrently in the shapes and proportions of nature, appears in architecture and art and has applications in mathematics, computer science and number theory. The arrangement of leaves on a branch, the spiral of shells or the distribution of seeds in a sunflower, follow patterns that can be described by the Fibonacci sequence or by forms derived from it. This phenomenon is known as a logarithmic spiral or Fibonacci spiral, which approaches the golden ratio as the spiral develops. The Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio have also been used in art and architecture. Famous works, such as the Parthenon in Athens and some of Leonardo da Vinci’s compositions, were designed taking into account these proportions, which are believed to confer harmony and aesthetic beauty. The Fibonacci spiral, in particular, is used to create dynamic and proportionally balanced shapes in various artistic fields.
Our STEAM at Ic Quattromiglia – Primary School
Following the guidelines of the Ministry and the address of the school director, Maria Cristina Rippa, who this year wanted to encourage students towards the study of STEM disciplines, the fourth years of primary school took inspiration from the studies of the famous mathematician to weave together mathematics, art and nature and understand the bond that unites these fields of knowledge apparently so distant from each other. This is how in recent days educational activities have been enriched with research, calculations, drawings but also with many laboratories that have tried to trace the meaning of these numbers by giving them shape and meaning. Here then appears on the floor of the entrance hall a spiral on which the students can arrange themselves following the principles of the DADA model (Didactics for learning environments) according to which every space must be enhanced and made functional to the teaching-learning process. Pine cones, flowers and shells are observed in their shape, noting the arrangement of the individual elements. The spiral is sought in art, in the works of famous authors who use it as a mystical and divine element, in the shape of galaxies, in the evolution of sea waves.
Presented in this way, the Fibonacci sequence is not just seen as a mathematical curiosity, but becomes a key to understanding natural, artistic and scientific phenomena. Its beauty is in the simplicity of the definition and the depth of the applications.
