On June 4, 2016 at the 2016 New Mexico STEM Symposium, Fractal Foundation representatives Jonathan Wolfe (founder and Board President) and Emma Eckert (Education Director) inspired teachers from all over the state to incorporate fractal activities into their curriculum. The teachers participated in an informati
ve presentation highlighting the key components of fractals and how fractals are SMART – Science, Math, and ART! Following the presentation, the teachers were led through hands-on ‘fractivities’, examples of the fantastic resources available for free on the Fractal Foundation’s website,www.fractalfoundation.org. (Pictured here are two variations on the fractal cut-out card activity, a great way to show how the complex patterns seen in fractals are made by repeating a simple process over and over – in this case, by cutting, folding, and inverting. One of the Special Education instructors in attendance also remarked that in addition to learning about fractals, it is a great activity for honing fine motor skills.)
The response to the Fractal Foundation’s program at the STEM Symposium was wholly positive. Everyone was engrossed in creating their own unique fractal artwork and found the introductory presentation relevant to today’s students and helpful in enhancing the current STEM curriculum. Our group of educators were happy to learn about fractals and how to utilize them to teach math, science, and art concepts in the classroom. The teachers went away feeling inspired, with the seeds of fractal knowledge planted and ready to grow!