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A fractal is a never ending pattern

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Yeah, I think its infinite and it hurt my head

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its easy to make one, yet hard to actually see.. . ive probably been looking at fractals my whole life

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this confuzzeled me. it is very confuzzling

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i didnt want to look at it

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Its confusing

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So what exactly IS a fractal? Check out the link below.

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I think a fractal is a picture that has been turned in to a video  by zooming continuously

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Use the internet to find an example of a fractal in nature.  Post a picture here on the class Fractal Padlet so your peers can see what you found.

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Gaze at a fern. How is the branching of the leaves so exact? Investigate a pinecone. Why are the scales nestled in a perfect spiral? Though these patterns look visually complex, they organize themselves using a simple mathematical rule known as fractals - a never-ending pattern that repeats at different scales making smaller or larger copies over and over again. Dublin Arts Council's Patterns in Nature project offers an opportunity to explore the ways that nature organizes itself.

According to Psychology Today, "The results of many studies show that exposure to fractal patterns in nature reduce people's levels of stress up to 60 percent. It seems this stress reduction effect occurs because of a certain physiological resonance within the eye. Some research indicates that certain types of artwork that have such patterns can also produce a relaxation affect."

Journey around Dublin parks to discover three new public art vessels, Fractal Boxes, inspired by patterns found in nature. Each box contains free activity booklets, which rotate monthly, offering visitors fractal art activities that inspire connection to nature, promote well-being and nurture creativity. Activities placed inside the Fractal Box artworks each month include a fractal pattern hunt, drawing and understanding leaves and a fractal pattern doodle experience.

Dublin Arts Council wants to share the amazing patterns, both found and created by the community, and plans a Patterns in Nature gallery exhibition at the Dublin Arts Center on Riverside Drive in spring of 2023.

Participating Artists

Activity booklet designer

Noor Murteza
Murteza is a doctoral student in the Arts Administration, Education, and Policy program at The Ohio State University. She received her bachelor's degree in interior design and her MFA in Design research and development. During her MFA at Ohio State, she explored the intersections of design, nature, and psychological wellbeing. Noor is interested in Design Education and is currently serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.

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Fractal box artists

Jonah Jacobs
Kiwanis Riverway Park Fractal Box
6245 Riverside Dr.
Dublin, Ohio 43017

"The main emphasis of my artwork is to recreate the grandeur and complexity of natural structures. My work recreates the structures found in nature by distilling their essence down to an abstracted form and then creating sculptures similar to those forms.

"This fractal box demonstrates how the replication of simple shapes and colors creates a complex and ornate organic-looking sculpture. Whether it's the graceful limbs of trees, the intricate structures of mushrooms or the decaying remains of a tree trunk, the structures found in nature amaze, teach and inspire us to find solutions to a host of complex problems."

Andrea Myers
Llewellyn Farms Park Fractal Box "Echoes and Hollows"
4850 Tuttle Rd.
Dublin, Ohio 43016

"The fractals that inspired my piece for Llewellyn Farms Park are interpretations of a wide range of inspirations from nature - such as ripples in water, hollows in trees, cellular structures, topographic undulations, or something else imagined.

"Materiality and sustainability are important in my work as the forms I created are comprised of recycled PVC billboard material. Cut and layered from a 10×30' billboard, the imagery and text from the billboard become obscured and pixelated color arises in the surface. The use of billboard material relates to the functionality of the library box as both are vessels for the dissemination of information."

Karen Snouffer
M.L. "Red" Trabue Nature Reserve Fractal Box
Two entrances: 6835 Avery-Muirfield Drive / 6566 Post Rd.
Dublin, Ohio 43017

"This fractal box references a species of fungi native to Ohio, the turkey tail fungi, Trametes Versicolor. The fungi grow on dead matter like shaded, fallen trees. This stunning fungus is an example of fractals in nature, as it reveals a pattern that repeats and increases in scale as it grows.

"Its undulating forms and complex colors inspired my design with motifs and colors I use repeatedly in my work. The forms project from the box and are also painted on the flat surfaces, echoing other life forms: flowers, treetops, even clouds, all which also reflect fractals in nature."

Project Partners

Patterns in Nature is made possible through Dublin Arts Council's collaboration with the City of Dublin's Parks & Recreation Department, The Ohio State University's Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy, and Department of Design.

This project is a component of a multi-year Art & Wellness initiative, realized with support from the City of Dublin, Ohio Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. Dublin Arts Council would like to thank the community partners who continue to support this initiative, which include the Dublin Community Foundation, Washington Township EMS, Syntero Counseling Centers, Dublin City Schools, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, OhioDance, Japan-America Society of Central Ohio, Dublin Bridges, Cardinal Health and several City of Dublin departments, including Police, Human Resources, Recreation Services and Parks and Recreation. A special thanks to the Fractal Foundation for their plentiful educational resources.

Join the Patterns in Nature photo contest!

Dublin Arts Council wants to show off the awe- inspiring patterns you find along your journey. Share your fractal nature photos by sending us an email or by tagging us on social media, using the hashtag #PatternsInNature

FACEBOOK: @DublinArtsCouncil

INSTAGRAM: @dublinarts

EMAIL: fractals@dublinarts.org

Dublin Arts Council will present these community photos during a special Patterns in Nature gallery exhibition, on view at Dublin Arts Council in Spring 2023. You may even find your photos featured in the slide show below!

The mushroom photos, above, were taken in northern Georgia by Dublin Arts Council staff member Christine Langston.
Learn more about the Patterns in Nature project here:

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artists: Jonah Jacobs, Noor Murteza, Andrea Myers, Karen Snouffer project date: launched September 2021 location: three Dublin parks (see map below) Scale the map by pinching and move the map using your cursor to locate the pins -- Locations include: Kiwanis Riverway Park, 6245 Riverside Dr., Dublin, Ohio 43016 Llewellyn Farms Park, 4850 Tuttle Rd., Dublin, Ohio 43016 M.L.

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It is a shape that if you zoom in ALOT then it looks to go on forever!

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You'll need scissors, a ruler, markers or colored pencils, and a copy the handout below.  If you can't print, ask your teacher for to print a copy for you.

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It made me feel uneasy.

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infint loop

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Im using a tree as mine

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Check out this video of the Featherino Fractal. 

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Check out this video of the Featherino Fractal. 

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I think fractals are a series of images inside of images inside of an image until it is almost infinite.

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they go on forever and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever  and ever

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I think a fractal is a series of the same, or similar structures with a time lapse of infinite.

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It made my head hurt and made me want to touch my screen.

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Fractals are things that can be zoomed in on forever

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Umm I think the fractal made it look like you were diving into the picture and it made me question if all things are or can be fractal and in addition to that it hurt my brain and I don't think I will get anything useful out of it for the next 10 years.

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goes on for ever

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it was so intresting and well... idk

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hurts my eyes and brain

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They gave me serious verdigo

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It hurt my eyes

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Fractals look like something under a microscope being zoomed in very much. Than zooming it around the object making it look bigger and longer.

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i think its a infinite loop illusion. it made me want to touch the sceen

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Fractals are moving pictures(moving art)

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Something that you can zoom in on forever

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it is so cool

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Fractals are a specific shape that if zoomed in on, it will appear to be and infinite loop so that it is interesting/confusing/ fun to look at.

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Think about the word "recursive."  How might we apply that to poetry or music?
Listen for an example.

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What  do you think it means to say "An infinite perimeter encloses a fixed area?"

Use the "+" button below to answer this question.

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You're going to need more paper,(triangular graph paper is great if you have it), a ruler, and a pencil with a good eraser.  Precision is important with this one! Watch this video to show you have to draw this fractal.

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Equilateral triangles, fractals and Koch's snowflake

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This time, you need a long, thin strip of paper. Using one of the long sheets of construction paper, cut a strip along the long side about 1 inch wide.  Or you can use regular paper and tape strips together. Watch the video below and follow along.

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Compare the triangle you stated with in step 1 to later iterations. Think about the following questions:

1. What fraction of the triangle did you NOT color out in the first iteration?

2. What fraction of the triangle in the 2nd iteration is NOT colored?

3. What fraction did you NOT color in the the 3rd iteration ?

4. Do you see a pattern here?

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How are fractals used in science, technology, and engineering?  Create a presentation in Google and post a link in our class Fractal Padlet.

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Compose your own recursive poem or song using Google Docs. Post a link below to share with the group!

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Shodor > Interactivate > Activities > Koch's Snowflake

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Use the "+" button to answer the following question below:

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Use the "+" button to answer the following question below:

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What fractional pattern did you see?  What are your predictions?

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Sierpinski's Triangle + Pascal's Triangle

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Sierpinski's Triangle + Pascal's Triangle

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Investigate Pascal's Sierpinski's Triangle.

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Draw your own Sierpenski's Triangle using these instructions:

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Draw your own Sierpenski's Triangle using these instructions:

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Learn to draw a fractal Sierpinski triangle and combine yours with others to make a bigger fractal triangle

The Sierpinski triangle activity illustrates the fundamental principles of fractals - how a pattern can repeat again and again at different scales and how this complex shape can be formed by simple repetition. Each students makes his/her own fractal triangle composed of smaller and smaller triangles. Next, students cut out their own triangle and assemble them into a larger fractal pattern that replicates the same shape.

You can use our curriculum for free or can hire us to come to your school to lead fun, hands-on activities. Check out our educa tion and outreach page!

Ages: 1st - 8th grades

Materials:
Markers, crayons or colored pencils
Scissors
Ruler and protractor for older grades
Triangle worksheet

Time:
Approx 30-45 minutes

The template is both on page 6 of the teacher instructions and on page 2 of the student worksheet.
DOWNLOAD THE INSTRUCTIONS DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHEET ANSWER KEY FOR TEACHERS
DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATE TO DRAW AND COLOR IN - just the blank triangle

DOWNLOAD THE TEMPLATE TO COLOR IN - the Sierpinski triangle drawn out

Teachers - if you have comments or suggestions about this or any of our other fractivities, please email us at

See what people are saying about this activity on our feedback page!

Orient the template so the triangle points up. Dots show the midpoints of the edges, half way between the corners. Connect the dots as shown below to form a new triangle, pointing down. Color it in.

You are left now with three white triangles. Find the midpoints of each of these three triangles, connect them, and color in the resulting downward-pointing triangles.

Each of the three triangles now turns into three smaller triangles, leaving nine small white triangles.

Connect the midpoints of each of the nine white triangles to form 27 smaller downward-pointing triangles. Color those in.

Continue this process for as long as you like, creating triangles in factors of three: 81, 243 or even 729! Use the student worksheet to explore the math behind this and work on mathematical notation.

Be as creative as you wish in coloring the triangles.

When you're done, cut the big triangle out and write your name on the back.

Next, join your fractal triangle with two other fractal triangles to form a bigger triangle. Then add two more groups of three triangles to form a bigger triangle made of nine triangles. If you're doing this with your whole class, you can join three groups of nine to make a giant triangle made of 27 individual triangles. If you want to continue, three classes could join all their 81 triangles into an even bigger one. And why stop there???

If you do this project with your class, please consider contributing your fractal triangles to our Giant Fractal Trianglethon Project to help make the world's largest Sierpinski Triangle! On April 10, 2011, we built an 8th order fractal triangle, made of 6,561 triangles. Help us reach the next level, and build one out of 19,683 triangles!

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Learn to draw a fractal Sierpinski triangle and combine yours with others to make a bigger fractal triangle The Sierpinski triangle activity illustrates the fundamental principles of fractals - how a pattern can repeat again and again at different scales and how this complex shape can be formed by simple repetition.

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A really interesting characteristic of the Koch Snowflake is its perimeter.

Ordinarily, when you increase the perimeter of a geometric figure, you also increase its area. If you have a square with a huge perimeter, it also has a huge area. But wait till you see what happens when you investigate the perimeter of a Koch Snowflake fractal!

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In this video, we explore the topic of the Koch Snowflake; a two-dimensional shape with fixed area but infinite perimeter. ~~~ Support me on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/randydobson ~~~ I'd like to show you a shape that has some really interesting properties.

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Investigate Fractals in the form of trees.

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Investigate Fractals in the form of trees.

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You may not have time to complete everything. Print pages 1-3 and then do more if you have time.

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More iterations of Jurassic Park Fractal

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More iterations of Jurassic Park Fractal

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What would happen if you folded your paper 5 times instead of 4?  6 times?  Try it. Click the next link to see what repeated iterations would look like. If you want to, you can even try to draw it.

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These high school students won an award for creating this model.

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A fractal is an infinite loop of a shape that if you zoom in on very small, it will appear to go on forever.

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It looks like someone is zooming in a microscope and it goes on forever

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I think a fractal is a never ending loop of the same thing