Audience

This activity has been completed with math majors, pre-service math teachers, and CCU-MTC local middle and high school math teachers.

The objective of this exploration was to introduce learners to applications of fractal geometry.

Outline

1. Students calculate the circumference of a hula hoop using a straight edge and continue to break the ruler in half and remeasure the circumference.
2. Each group sketches the coast of South Carolina and measure the coastline again breaking the ruler in half and remeasuring the length.
3. Students discover the convergence to the circumference for the hula hoop, but the unbound, infinite coastline.
4. Groups use their knowledge of 1st, 2nd, 3rd dimension to derive a formula for determining an objects dimension.
5. Groups apply the dimension formula to a few fractals and calculate the fractal dimension.