Where can mathematics hide?

Look for the mathematics hiding in butterflies, leaves, buildings, pavements, artwork and everyday design.

learners become pattern detectives. They investigate how familiar mathematical ideas such as repetition, reflection, rotation, translation, tessellation and branching appear in the world around us.

The lesson also introduces an important distinction: mathematical patterns can be exact, while patterns in nature are often only approximately regular. Learners are encouraged to describe the rule they see rather than simply deciding that something “looks patterned”.

These printable resources accompany the online lesson and provide opportunities to record observations, identify pattern rules and continue exploring away from the screen.

This free download contains two separate PDF files:

Lesson 5 Handout — key ideas, examples and vocabulary from the lesson
Lesson 5 Activities — printable activities for investigating patterns in art, nature and design

Use it with the online lesson

This printable resource accompanies:

Patterns Everywhere — Lesson 5: Patterns in Art and Nature

The online lesson uses real-world images and visual investigations to connect mathematical ideas with the world around us.

☕ Free to download

This resource is completely free.

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Lesson 5 of Patterns Everywhere

Patterns Everywhere is a six-lesson Beyond Curriculum course exploring patterns, tessellations, symmetry, transformations, patterns in art and nature, and mathematical design.

Suitable for home education, enrichment, independent learning or exploring together with an adult.

Ages 7+ · 6 lessons · No prerequisites

architecture maths

Patterns Lesson 5: Patterns in Art, Nature and Design