Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Bayombong Campus
DEGREE PROGRAM BS MATH COURSE NO. GE MATH
SPECIALIZATION MATHEMATICS COURSE TITLE MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
YEAR LEVEL FIRST YEAR TIME FRAME 6 HRS WK NO. 1 - 2 IM NO. 1
I. CHAPTER 1 - The Nature of Mathematics
II. LESSON TITLE
A. Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World
B. The Fibonacci Sequence
C. The Importance of Mathematics
III. LESSON OVERVIEW
Mathematics helps organize patterns and regularities in the world. The geometry of most
patterns in nature can be associated, either directly or indirectly, to mathematical numbers. The limit
and extent to which natural patterns adhere to mathematical series and numbers are amazing.
Mathematics helps predict the behavior of nature and phenomena in the world. It helps control nature
and occurrences in the world for the good of mankind. Because of its numerous applications,
mathematics becomes indispensible
IV. DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The students should be able to: 1) Identify patterns in nature and regularities in the world;
2)Articulate the importance of mathematics in one’s life; 3) Argue about the nature of mathematics,
what it is, how it is expressed, represented and used; and 4) Express appreciation of mathematics as a
human behavior.
V. LESSON CONTENT
Mathematics is the study of the relationships among numbers, quantities, and shapes. It
includes arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, statistics and calculus. Mathematics nurtures
human characteristics like power of creativity, reasoning, critical thinking, spatial thinking and others.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
A. Patterns and Numbers in Nature and the World
Patterns in nature are visible regularities found in the natural world. These patterns persist in
different context and can be modeled mathematically. Natural patterns may consists spirals,
symmetries, mosaic, stripes, spots, etc. the world seems to make several distinct patterns, developing
various complex steps of formation but a closer and deeper study reveals that these patterns have
many similarities and resemblances.
Plato, Pythagoras and Empedocles and other early Greek philosophers studied patterns and
explain order in nature which lead to the modern understanding of visible patterns.
In the 19th century, Belgian Physicist, Joseph Plateau examined soap films, leads him to
formulate the concept of a minimal surface.
German Biologist and Artist Ernst Haeckel painted hundreds of marine organisms to emphasize
their symmetry.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Scottish Biologists D’Arcy Thompson pioneered the study of growth patterns in both plants and
animals, showing that simple equations could explain spiral growth.
In the 20th century, British Mathematician Alan Turing predicted mechanisms of morphogenesis
which give rise to patterns of spots and stripes.
Hungarian Biologists Aristid Lindenmayer showed how the mathematics of fractals could create
plant growth patterns.
An L-system or Lindenmayer system is a parallel rewriting system and a type of formal
grammar. An L-system consists of an alphabet of symbols that can be used to make strings, a
collection of production rules that expand each symbol into some larger string of symbols, an initial
"axiom" string from which to begin construction, and a mechanism for translating the generated strings
into geometric structures.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
French American Benoit Mandelbrot showed how the mathematics of fractals could create plant
growth patterns.
Fractal is a curve or geometric figure, each part of which has the same statistical character as
the whole. Fractals are useful in modeling structures (such as eroded coastlines or snowflakes) in
which similar patterns recur at progressively smaller scales, and in describing partly random or chaotic
phenomena such as crystal growth, fluid turbulence, and galaxy formation.
W. Gary Smith adopts eight patterns in his landscape work, namely; scattered, fractured,
mosaic, naturalistic drift, serpentine, spiral, radial and dendritic. These patterns occur in plants,
animals, rock formations, river flow, stars or in human creations. (Goral, 2017)
Spiral
In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which
emanates from a point, moving farther away as it
revolves around the point.
Scattered
A dispersed settlement, also known as
scattered settlement, is one of the main types of
settlement patterns used by landscape historians
to classify the rural settlements found in England
and other parts of the world.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Radial
Classic radial design is symmetrical, with
elements situated equally around the center.
Think of something like a clock face: there is a
central point where the clock hands meet, digits
encircling this central point, and an equal number
of digits on either side of the center. This same
type of radial design is used in visual art. Take the
stained glass rose window from the famous Notre
Dame Cathedral, for instance.
Radial designs are generated outward from
a center point creating a circular pattern or design.
Mosaic
A mosaic is a piece of art or image made
from the assembling of small pieces of colored
glass, stone, or other materials. It is often used in
decorative art or as interior decoration.
Most mosaics are made of small, flat, roughly
square, pieces of stone or glass of different colors,
known as tesserae.
Fractured
Fractured patterns arise abundantly in
natural and engineered systems, and their
geometries depend on material properties and on
the ways in which the material is deformed or
forces act on it. Two-dimensional fracture patterns
can be characterized by their network topology
(how fractures connect to each other) and their
heterogeneity (whether fractures appear clustered
or uniformly distributed in space).
Dendritic
Dendritic-having a branched form
resembling a tree
Serpentine
Something that is serpentine is curving and
winding in shape, like a snake when it moves.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Naturalistic Drift
Natural lines of drift are those paths across terrain
that are the most likely to be used when going from
one place to another. These paths are paths of least
resistance: those that offer the greatest ease while
taking into account obstacles (e.g. rivers, cliffs,
dense unbroken woodland, etc.) and modes of
transit (e.g. pedestrian, automobile, horses.).
Common endpoints or fixed points may include
water sources, food sources, and obstacle passages
such as fords or bridges.
Numbers are everywhere in nature. Mathematicians noticed that numbers appear in many
different patterns in nature: bird’s to wings, clovers’ three leaflets, deer’s four hooves, buttercup’s five
petals, insect’s six legs, rainbow’s seven colors, octopus’ eight arms and many others. As man of
science studied numbers, they also realized their significance in everyday life.
B. The Fibonacci Sequence
In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers, commonly denoted Fn, form a sequence, called
the Fibonacci sequence, such that each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, starting from 0
and 1. That is, F0 = 0 , F1 = 1 and Fn = Fn – 1 + Fn – 2 for n > 1.
The beginning of the sequence is thus: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377…
Each number in th sequence is the sum of the two number which precede it. In some older books, the
value F0 = 0 is omitted, so that the sequence starts with F1 = F2 = 1 and the recurrence Fn = Fn – 1 + Fn
– 2 is valid for n > 2. The Fibonacci spiral: an approximation of the golden spiral created by
drawing circular arcs connecting the opposite corners of squares in the Fibonacci tiling;
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Fibonacci numbers are strongly related to the golden ratio: Binet's formula expresses the nth
Fibonacci number in terms of n and the golden ratio, and implies that the ratio of two consecutive
Fibonacci numbers tends to the golden ratio as n increases.
Fibonacci numbers are named after Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, later known
as Fibonacci. In his 1202 book Liber Abaci, Fibonacci introduced the sequence to Western
European mathematics, although the sequence had been described earlier in Indian
mathematics, as early as 200 BC in work by Pingala on enumerating possible patterns of Sanskrit
poetry formed from syllables of two lengths.
Fibonacci numbers appear unexpectedly often in mathematics, so much so that there is an
entire journal dedicated to their study, the Fibonacci Quarterly. Applications of Fibonacci numbers
include computer algorithms such as the Fibonacci search technique and the Fibonacci heap data
structure, and graphs called Fibonacci cubes used for interconnecting parallel and distributed
systems.
They also appear in biological settings, such as branching in trees, the arrangement of
leaves on a stem, the fruit sprouts of a pineapple, the flowering of an artichoke, an uncurling fern,
and the arrangement of a pine cone's bracts.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
The ratio of any two successive Fibonacci Numbers is very close to the Golden Ratio, referred
to and represented as phi () which is approximately equal to 1.618034… The bigger the pair of
Fibonacci Numbers is considered, the closer is the approximation.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
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C. The Importance of Mathematics
Mathematics has everyday applications. It is a universal language in different places, in different times,
in different settings and different circumstances. The physical world seems to consist of countable things
and any infinity encountered is a result of extending a counting process. But of course, mathematics is
not just counting. When one buys a product, follow a recipe, or decorate his room, he uses math
principles. People employ these principles for thousands of years, across countries and continents.
Farming and gardening also provide rich mathematical opportunities. Within the broad concepts
of farming, there are two very important elements: time and money. At the root of both these is
mathematics. Mathematics has enable farming to be more economically efficient and has increase
productivity. Farmers use mathematics as a system of organization to effectively utilize their time and
manage their money. Farmers use numbers everyday for a variety of tasks, from measuring and
weighing, to land marking. The math use in farming is sometimes unnoticed. The calculations and
formulas require mathematical knowledge and farmers use their knowledge and farmers use their
problem solving and money management abilities daily. Basic geometry, proportions, multiplication and
measurement skills are used every day by farmers. Advancement in farming means faster machinery
and less time. Technology has allowed farmers to increase the size of their operation without increasing
manpower. Today, new developments and invention are even more considerable. Small family farms
are becoming larger, with fewer people. And, as technology increases, so does a farmer’s use for
mathematics.
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Planning a market list and grocery shopping requires math knowledge, starting from the
fundamental operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to estimation and
percentages: calculating price per unit, figuring percentage discounts, comparing unit and bulk price of
items, estimating total price, etc. Today’s trends like using credit card to pay, or atm debit or electronic
banking are all applications of mathematics.
Anywhere in the house, there is mathematics; e.g. symmetric arrangement of furniture, wall
decorations and frames, wine bottles in the bar, plant plots in the inner garden and even restroom
fixtures. Working in the kitchen requires mathematical knowledge: measuring ingredients, calculating
cooking time, making ratios and proportions in baking, etc.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page 10 of 13
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Long and short travels involves math in various ways: fuel required based on distance, total
expenses for toll fees, tire pressure check, time allowance for the trip, short-cut routes alternatives, road
map reading, speed limits and others.
A contractor or construction worker, knows that building anything and creating something
requires a broad range of mathematics. Making accurate measurements of lengths, with, and angles;
projecting detailed material estimate, getting the best value of available resources, etc. are obvious
applications of mathematics.
The art of applying mathematics to complex real-world problems is called engineering
mathematics. It combines mathematical theory, practical engineering and scientific computing to
address the fast-changing technology. Engineering mathematics is a creative and exciting discipline,
spanning traditional boundaries and dealing with today’s technological challenges. Engineering
mathematics can be found in an extraordinarily wide range of careers, from designing next generation
high-end cars to inventing robotics and automatic devices.
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page 11 of 13
Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
Many experts agree that without strong math skills, people tend to invest, save, or spend money
based on their emotions. To add to this dilemma, those individuals with poor math fundamentals
typically make greater financial mistakes like underestimating how quickly interest accumulates. A
students who thoroughly grasps the concepts of exponential growth and compound interest will be more
inclined to better manage debt.
Time is everybody’s most valuable asset. Without good planning of time, the day can slip idly and
tasks and duties accrue. In a swift changing world, creating and following schedule prove beneficial, but
it takes more mathematical skills than simply using a clock and calendar to manage time well and be on
top of others.
Though some of more abstract mathematical concepts seldom come into play, the essential
skills developed in basic math lessons resonate throughout a student’s lifetime and often resurface to
help solve various problems in real life situations in the workplace and in the world.
Generalization
1. Manny patterns and occurrence exist in nature, in our world and in our life. Mathematics help make
sense of the patterns ad occurrence.
2. Mathematics is a tool to quantify, organized and control the world, predict phenomena and make life
easier for us.
VI. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
What did you learn in the videos? Show your appreciation of this movie inspired on numbers, geometry
and nature by writing an essay for each activity to answer the question.
Activity No. 1 – View https://vimeo.com/9953368 Nature by Numbers by Cristobal Vila.
Activity No. 2 – View https://www.goldennumber.net/spirals/ Spirals and the Golden Ratio by Gary
Meisner
VII. ASSIGNMENT
Answer the following questions in three to five sentences only (5 points each).
1. What new ideas about mathematics did you learn?
2. What is it about mathematics that might have changed your thoughts about it?
VIII. EVALUATION
For numbers 1 – 5. Shade the box if the statement is TRUE or FALSE, and write the letter of the correct
answer on the space provided before each number when the statement is FALSE.
T F
1. It provides the opportunity to solve both simple and complex problems in many real-
world contexts using a variety of strategies.
A. Mathematics B. Science C. Logic D. Statistics
2. These are visible irregularities found in the natural world.
A. patterns in Math B. patterns in space C. patterns in nature D. patterns in flowers
3. Fibonacci Day is ___.
A. October 23 B. November 23 C. December 23 D. September 23
4. The 19th Fibonacci number is ___.
A. 987 B. 1597 C. 2584 D. 4181
5. The Fibonacci number closest to the value of is ___.
A. F500/F300 B. F44/F45 C. F10/F9 D. F51/F50
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Republic of the Philippines
NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULE
IM No.: IM-GEMATH-1STSEM-2020-2021
6. Five (5) Patterns of W. Gary Smith
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
7. Five (5) Mathematicians/Biologists/Physicists and their contributions to GE Math
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
8. Answer briefly and concisely.
What is it about mathematics that might have changed your thoughts about it?
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IX. REFERENCES
Barton, B. (2008). The Language of Mathematics: Telling Mathematical Tales. New York, NY:
Springer.
Stewart, Ian (1995). Nature’s Numbers. Date Retrieved: July 25, 2018. Retrieved at
https://cismasemanuel. files.wordpress.com/2010/02/ian-stewart-numerelenaturii.pdf
Vila, Cristobal (2010). Nature by Numbers (Video). Date Retrieved: July 26, 2018. Retrieved at
http://www. etereaestudios.com/docs_html/nbyn_htm/intro.htm
NVSU-FR-ICD-05-00 (081220) Page 13 of 13
