HUMAN MADE VS LIVING THINGS
What kinds of lines and angles did you see in most living things? How about in most human-made things? Are there typical lines and patterns that show up in living things vs. human-made things? Any exceptions to this?
Living things: trees, plants, snow.
These items all have complicated fractal-like patterns to them, requiring more attention and focus when trying to draw them. They seem to have more dimensions to them and more detail to include. Angles seem to be pointing upwards, towards the sun, 45 degrees or smaller in relation to the main trunk. I thought my pine trees in the back were an exception with the pointing down stricture, but as I look out at the trees again, I realise my drawing is false and they actually point up! This is not an observation I have ever made before as I have always sketched these branches going down.
Human-made things: road sign, power lines, building, window, parking lot, road.
These items were very linear, many straight lines and near-90 degree angles, they took a fraction of the time to draw, and were very simple structures to add to a page.
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| My drawing! |
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| A photo of my view! |
I believe that the patterns in living things exist for optimal living conditions, plants and trees are built to sustain the weather, and be positioned in the right way to prioritise photosynthesis and optimize it. While humans are smart, we are nothing compared to nature, so keeping things linear and at simple angles makes construction and maintenance easier.
How might you use close observation and drawing or sketching to help your students learn about lines and angles?
This is a great way to start the conversation of the living world, and patterns and angles in real life, allowing students to draw the connections between math and the world.
Are there ways to experience lines and angles through whole-body movement or large body motions outdoors? In relationship to the living world?
I will continue to reflect on this. I did my drawing from inside as it has been -30 degrees Celsius this week, I was not able to sit outside while drawing. But I will be mindful of this when the polar vortex moves on and spending time outside is enjoyable again!
I was thinking that great ways to experience lines and angles through whole-body movement could be sketching a large-scale object in the snow, or having the student use sleds to try to draw it. By making it large scale, students have to think how to move like an angle. By using the sleds, they would have to think how objects around them can become lines and angles. Lastly, our students took a drone picture while trying to use their body to create a big X. It required a lot of thinking, and back-and-forth, to achieve the right position!
ReplyDeleteA little more far-fetched: skateboarding, skiing, and snowboarding requires whole-body movement to turn (or create an angle)!
My brain went far into the math world when you mentioned skiing and snowboarding, I thought of a sine or cosine graph as the "S" you make when skiing/snowboarding has more curves than angles. That would be a fun way to analyze such complex functions. Thanks for these ideas!
ReplyDeleteI love these suggestions!!
ReplyDelete