Exploring the Math and Art Connection

Book excerpt: Daniel Jarvis and Irene Naested highlight the natural association between math and art in a series of practical ideas for the classroom, because when students understand the math/art connection, their understanding and confidence increase in both subjects. Through innovative teaching strategies and more than 100 rich learning experiences, Jarvis and Naested give teachers a wealth of engaging tools to explore the math/art connection with their own students. This connection is established through examinations of natural and human-designed objects, from how pine cone scales spiral out in a Fibonacci sequence to how geometric shapes combine in architecture to form some of the most beautiful structures on the planet.