#MathArtChallenge Day 12: DRAGONS

(Props to Kate Nowak who suggested this.)

The Challenge: Create as many iterations of the Dragon Fractal as you can. See below for my attempts and videos to help.

Material Needed: There are a couple options here:
-Paper and marker (sharpie?). Maybe grid paper, preferably paper that is thin enough to see through (notebook paper is normally thin enough)
-Strips of paper to fold it
-Whiteboard marker and whiteboard/window
-??? I bet you have better ideas than I do.
Math concepts you could explore with this challenge:  fractals, functions, geometry, proportions & ratios, sequences

Here are my attempts:

And below are videos explaining what it is and how you can make it, too!

Depending on how you use this activity, you may engage with different mathematical standards. I’ve listed possible connected math content above. Here are a few suggestions for how you might integrate the 8 mathematical practices. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments!

1.) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. How many iterations can you make? What are the limitations on your quantity of iterations?

5.) Use appropriate tools strategically. Discuss with students how to best see progressive iterations of the fractals. What are the benefits of folding it with paper? What are the drawbacks?

8.) Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. The dragon fractal is organized, but it also has an element of chaos in it. How would you describe the repetition in it?