Fractal Trianglethon

Help us Create the World’s Largest Fractal Sierpinski Triangle!

Every year we build a giant fractal triangle made of thousands of individual fractals triangles made by students all over the world. A few years ago, we constructed the 8th order version of this fractal, comprised of 3^8 individual triangles (6,561). And we’re still growing! Our goal now is 3^9 triangles, which is 19,683.

By doing this activity, children have fun learning about fractals, symmetry, powers of three, fractions, iteration, scaling, and the power of cooperation. See the full list of Common Core Standards in math and English Language Arts for this fractivity.

A Sierpinski Triangle can be made of three smaller copies of itself. A bigger version can be made of nine triangles. An even bigger one is made of 27 and so on, always a power of three. See the detailed description in the Fractivities section.

One triangle made by a student showing the same pattern at smaller and smaller scales.

Here is the progression of triangles, in powers of 3:  1, 3, 9, 27, 81, 243, 729, 2187, 6561

One cluster of 27 triangles, plus parts of two others. Made by 2’nd and 3’d graders at Apache Elementary School.

2187 Triangles assembled in the Albuquerque Convention Center.

On April 10, 2011, we built the world’s largest fractal triangle, made of 6,561 fractal triangles from students all over the world! Many thanks to all our volunteers, the children who made all the triangles, and the Albuquerque Convention Center for hosting this project for the last two years. See a time-lapse video of the construction of this record-breaking fractal:

We are aiming next to build a 9th order triangle, consisting of 19,683 triangles. Yes, that’s a LOT of children to teach about fractals and a lot to coordinate. And we’ll need an indoor space almost 400′ on a side. But we can do it! We’ve already taught over 26,000 children about fractals. One class of about 27 kids can do the project in about 30-45 minutes.  How can we do it? Only with your help!

Teachers/Parents – Please mail your students’ completed fractal triangles to us at:

Fractal Foundation, 2917 Campus Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106

Thanks!

Congratulations and thanks to all our volunteers who help to assemble the triangles, and all the students and teachers in our participating schools who have contributed fractal triangles from all over the world:

ALBUQUERQUE:
Adobe Acres ES, Annunciation Catholic School, Apache ES, Atrisco ES, Bandelier ES, Bellehaven ES, Christ Lutheran, Cien Aguas International School, Comanche ES, Corrales ES, Cottonwood Classical, Dennis Chavez ES, Double Eagle ES, Eastern Hills Christian Academy, Ernie Pyle MS, Escuela del Sol Montessori, Georgia O’Keefe ES, Governor Bent ES, Harrison MS, Helen Cordero Primary School, Hodgin ES, Hope Christian School, Hubert Humphrey ES, Inez ES, Jefferson MS, Lavaland ES, Lowell ES, Mission Avenue ES, Monte Vista ES, Montezuma ES, North Valley Academy, Painted Sky ES, Petroglyph ES, Roosevelt MS, San Antonito ES, Sandia Base ES, SevenBar ES, Sunset Mesa ES, Sunset View ES, Sierra Vista ES, Susie Rayos Marmon ES, SY Jackson ES, Tierra Antigua ES, Truman MS, Valley HS, Vision Quest Alternative, West Mesa HS, Zuni ES

RIO RANCHO:
Cielo Azul ES, Enchanted Hills ES, Martin Luther King, Puesta del Sol ES, Sandia Vista, Stapleton ES

NEW MEXICO
Acoma – Sky City ES, Bosque Farms ES, Carlsbad – Alta Vista MS, Carlsbad HS, Cuba ES, Edgewood ES, Gallup – Chief Manuelito MS, Las Cruces – Sonoma ES, Placitas ES, Ramah HS, Roswell – Mountain View MS, San Rafael ES, Santa Fe – Capshaw ES, Santa Fe Girls School, Santa Fe – Larragotie and Pinon ES, Santa Rosa MS, Silver City – Harrison Schmidt ES, Mosquero Municipal Schools, SRES Santa Rosa.

THE U.S.
Mrs. Montgomery’s 5th grade homeroom class, Chestnutwold Elementary School, Ardmore, PA; Solvang Elementary, CA; Mrs. Madrona’s, Bear, DE; Milton, GA; Homeschool, Marietta, GA; Cloquet Middle School, MN; Lyle School, MN; William McKinley School, Brooklyn, NY; George Fisher MS, Carmel NY; Washington Drive Primary, Centerport, NY; Wayne High School, Huber Heights, OH; The Little School, Bellevue, WA

THE WORLD
Canada: Muriel Clayton Middle School, Airdrie AB
India: Birla Institute of Science and Technology
Australia: Camberwell Junior School, Canterbury; Mitcham Primary & Kingswood Primary, Melbourne; Bateman Primary, Western Australia
United Kingdom: Gateway School, Great Missenden