Fibonacci Day

A math holiday? You bet! Did you know that Fibonacci Day happens every 23rd of November honoring one of the most influential people in mathematics, Leonardo Fibonacci? Kids of all ages can learn a little bit about “nature’s secret code” and the Fibonacci sequence 

Who’s the man? That would be Leonardo of Pisa, known today as Fibonacci. He does not seem to have been the first to think of this sequence, but he was the first to bring it to the European world and bring awareness to its importance in the furthering of science. The sequence itself first appeared in Indian Mathematics. Learning how to create the Fibonacci sequence isn’t very difficult. Simply start with 0,1. Then each additional number is always the last two numbers of the sequence added together. Like this: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 and so on…..

Going out in nature and finding where it exists, which is everywhere!

• Snail ShellsSpirals often incorporate these numbers as they grow in a pattern that mimics the Fibonacci sequence.
• Giant SunflowersAnother version of this sequence can be found in the spiral of the sunflower. Looking at the center of the seeds, the eye can perceive that the number sequence continues to grow in the seeds as the flower gets bigger.
• PineapplesThose who are interested in counting the scales on a pineapple will find that, for the most part, the Fibonacci sequence is present when looking at the fruit from a diagonal perspective.
• Flower PetalsMost flowers found in nature contain a number of petals from the Fibonacci sequence: either 1,3,5, 8,13, or even 21 petals. Very few have 4, 6, or 7 petals. Of course, there are exceptions (such as the four-leaf clover) but it’s less common.

This year Fibonacci Day falls on November 23rd, 2023, so we commemorated this famous mathematician during the Environmental Club time. The children incorporated the Fibonacci numerical sequence in their artwork.

Eva Gogova