Today was an exciting day all about fractals! We started the day with a lively get to know you game called All My Friends and Neighbors. Then we reviewed the fractal book that we read during snack last week called Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature. The students check out a byrdseed.tv video about Sierpinski's Triangle (a famous fractal design) before creating their own Sierpinski's Triangle art! This art required the students to practice using a ruler to measure and as a straight edge. The art will be displayed in the hallway for a week or two before being disassembled and sent home.

After Choice Time, we upped the ante by taking Sierpinski's Triangle into the third dimension. The students worked together to first build tetrahedrons using 4 mini marshmallows and 6 toothpicks. They then combined 4 tetrahedrons to make a first order fractal; then they combined 4 of those into a 2nd order fractal; AND THEN they combined 4 of those into a 3rd order Sierpinski tetrahedron! It was really cool to see come together.

This felt like the week that the 2nd graders really started to click and make sense of what GATE is all about. I can't wait to continue to see them grow in confidence and independence as the year (and years) progresses!