November 23rd is Fibonacci day!!!
Are you wondering who Fibonacci is? That's cool, we got you. And we've included a FREE resource to use with your class!
Leonardo Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician born in the late 12th century. While not much is known about the specifics of his life, his name is still known centuries later, associated with one of the most fascinating sequences in mathematics. Though he authored several works on mathematical theorems, he is best remembered for the sequence we now call the Fibonacci Sequence:
Can you spot the pattern??? Can your students? Remember that Recognizing Patterns is one of the Six Creative Behaviors. This can be a fun “do now” puzzle to put on the board and see which students can pick up on it.
Each number is the sum of the two numbers preceding it!
Interestingly, the term “Fibonacci Sequence” wasn’t coined until the 19th century, when scientists began noticing how frequently these numbers appeared in nature’s design. For example, many flowers have petals in Fibonacci numbers—3, 5, 8, or 13. This pattern is repeated in larger plants as well, such as pine cones and sunflower seeds, which often display spiral formations that align with the Fibonacci Sequence. If you look closely at the way seeds grow from the center of a sunflower head, you'll see spirals moving in opposite directions, forming a pattern that is both efficient and visually captivating. This isn’t only aesthetically pleasing—these traits are examples of natural optimization. When plants grow leaves in a Fibonacci spiral, they maximize sunlight exposure, reduce overlapping, and efficiently manage space.
The more we look, the more we find this pattern in the scientific world. The Fibonacci pattern appears in the shell of a nautilus, which expands outward in a logarithmic spiral that maintains the proportions of the golden ratio. Dolphins have skeletal structures that follow Fibonacci patterns, and even the branching of veins and arteries in mammals echoes the sequence, supporting optimal circulation. If we look at the microscopic level, researchers have found that in the structure of DNA, the measurements of one turn of its double helix also correspond to Fibonacci numbers. Expanding from the microscopic to the cosmic scale, scientists have even observed that spiral galaxies of the universe follow similar proportions!
This brings us to the golden ratio. The golden ratio, approximately 1.618, has long been a guiding concept in art for creating balanced, aesthetically pleasing compositions. Within the Fibonacci Sequence, as numbers progress, dividing a number by its predecessor results in values that come closer and closer to 1.618.
3 ÷ 2 = 1.500
5 ÷ 3 = 1.667
8 ÷ 5 = 1.600
13 ÷ 8 = 1.625
21 ÷ 13 = 1.615
34 ÷ 21 = 1.619
55 ÷ 34 = 1.619
89 ÷ 55 = 1.618
144 ÷ 89 = 1.618
In natural and biological formations, the golden ratio appears in structures from storm clouds to the precise spiraling of DNA. The dimensions of a healthy human uterus exhibit this ratio, as do the auditory canals of our ears, reflecting nature’s inherent sense of harmony and proportion.
Fibonacci’s influence, however, extends beyond just numbers. His sequence connects mathematics, nature, and art in beautiful harmony. Ancient Greek architects applied the golden ratio in the Parthenon, and Renaissance artists like Leonardo da Vinci used it to create visual balance in works such as the “Vitruvian Man” and “The Last Supper.” Today, designers and architects still turn to this ratio to craft spaces that feel harmonious to the eye.
Challenge your students to look for the golden ratio in their surroundings, and invite them to create artwork based on this timeless pattern! By creating their own golden ratio-inspired art, they’ll discover how math and art are intertwined in nature—and bring a bit of Fibonacci’s magic into their work.
Click here for our free template!
Students could either make a drawing that has a spiral (e.g. the nautilus or storm clouds) or uses the proportions (e.g the Parthenon)! We'd love to see their artwork! Tag us @omnilearnstem
Happy Sciencing!
Comments