This 6-hour session will introduce rising 6th through 8th graders to fractals and their connections to other areas of mathematics. Participants will learn about famous fractals, create their own fractals, and learn about fractals found in nature and other disciplines of mathematics. They will use computers to explore fractals and consider the real-world applications of fractals. Students will collaborate with each other to develop a deeper understanding of fractals and how they are created. The workshop will involve formal lectures, structured hands-on labs and activities, and the opportunity to work collaboratively with other students.
Participants will work both in teams and individually in a supervised, hands-on learning environment. Using interactive online tools, they will explore fractals and learn about real-world instances of fractals.
Students often do not have the opportunity to learn how many mathematical concepts overlap in interesting and practical ways. This workshop is designed to expose the participants to the ways in which different disciplines in math are connected through fractals. Participants will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for other areas of math while learning about fractals.
Participants should be in grades 6th 8th and interested in math. While some experience with computers is helpful, it is not required. It should be noted that the emphasis of this program is math, with computers being used as a tool to help with the investigation of interesting mathematical phenomena.