Learning from Nature - Generative Design and Structural Tessellations

I am researching for my upcoming workshop on Fibonacci and Seeing Math Patterns in Nature.
I have been looking at sunflower, pinecone and branching patterns and the difference to hexagonal close-packing patterns such as in honeycombs and wasp nests.

In my google research I came across a fun blog from product designer Markus Kittner talking about "generative design and learning from nature" - and "structural tessellations and morphologies".

In the case of the Fibonacci sequence that we see in some growth patterns in nature we have a very simple input operation, that starts with the number one and simply is adding the previous number to it: i.e. the Fibonacci sequence is 1, 1+0 = 1, 1+1 = 2, 1+2 = 3, 2+3 = 5, 3+5 = 8, etc.

See more about generative design here:
http://74fdc.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/generative-design-learning-from-nature/

Find out more about the structure and economy of hexagonal honeycomb packing:

http://74fdc.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/structural-tessellations-and-morphologies/

Generative design and structural tessellations - such as seen in sunflowers, pinecones, branching patterns, and wasp nests and honeycombs, are fun applied math and design topics to explore with students K-12 both in the indoor and outdoor classroom.

Earth Force Next Steps Institute Professional Development Program in DC includes Agriculture and STEM Pathway

See http://www.earthforce.org/NSI for details of this Earth Force professional development program: Next Steps Institute, NSI, for teachers in STEM education.

Are you interested in agriscience, food and sustainability?
One of the pathways you can choose at this year's NSI is Harnessing the Power of Agriculture with STEM.

The Next Steps Institute (NSI), powered by Earth Force, is the premier professional development program that promotes hands-on, minds-on learning in STEM education. Organized by pathways that take participants on an engaging journey into critical STEM learning arenas, the Institute offers the depth and breadth of content needed to enhance effectiveness in action and advocacy around STEM.

NSI offers participants:

• Inquiry-based professional development at an affordable cost;

• Tools for effective materials management; and

• Strategies for promotion of 21st century STEM skills using an educational partnership model.

2014 Next Steps Institute: Integrating STEM Learning in Communities

Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center

3800 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007

Sept. 22-23, 2014

Registration closes September 16, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Rooms are available for $149/night. Click here to reserve your room.

   Cost:

Individual - $360

Team of 3 or more people - $330 per person

Agenda-at-a-Glance

STEM Education Takes a Village - Partnership

Engineering is Key to Solving Complex Problems

Program Content

Pathways

Register

Sponsors

FAQ

History

See http://www.earthforce.org/NSI for further details of all the pathways.
Here below is the promo for the one focused on Agriculture and STEM. 

• Harnessing the Power of Agriculture with STEM

Building an educated workforce with the skills and expertise necessary to sustain the world’s growing population is at the core of this pathway. Responsible for our food, water, shelter, and energy, agriscience provides a compelling and relevant context to address current issues and events on global and local scales. This pathway, facilitated by faculty from Murray State University and DelCastle Technical High School, takes an issues-based approach to understanding the ways agriscience deepens student understanding of STEM content using relevant, real-world examples.

Come share and generate best practices in teaching and learning that excite students and demonstrate the relevance of agriscience now and in the future. Problem-solving and inquiry-based activities provide a structure for learning crucial content, including: biofuels, crop management, biodiversity, conservation, nutrition, and genetics.