Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Materials Needed: Pencil

Lesson 1 of 10, work individually or in pairs Math Journal or Notebook

1. Write down the first part of the sequence, shown
below, and then fill in the blanks for the next 6 Fibonacci
In 1202, the mathematician Leonardo Pisano numbers.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, _13, _21, _34, _55, _89, 144_
Fibonacci (pronounced fi-buh-NAH-chee)
published a book with the famous Fibonacci Draw a box around this list of numbers so you can
sequence in it. (A sequence is a list of numbers.) find it easily. You will use it for several different
activities.
This sequence starts with the numbers 1 and 1.
2. In the first few terms (numbers) of the sequence, you
To get the next number, you add the first two: can see a pattern of whether the numbers are even or
odd. Make a table to see the pattern. Make as many rows
1 + 1 = 2.
as you need so you have a row for each number.
Now the sequence looks like 1, 1, 2. Even or 3. Write 1-2 sentences to
Number
odd describe the pattern and
To get the next number, you add the previous 1 odd explain why it happens.
two numbers: 1 + 2 = 3. 1 odd (Hint: What is an odd
Now the sequence looks like 1, 1, 2, 3. 2 even number plus an odd
3 odd number?)
5 odd The pattern is odd, odd,
Keep doing this to build the sequence. The next
8 even even, odd, odd, even. This
two numbers in the sequence are 5 (from happens because if you add
13 odd
2 + 3 = 5) and 8 (from 3 + 5 = 8). two odds, youll get an even
21 odd
Now the sequence looks like 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8. 34 even number. For the next two
55 odd steps, if you add an odd and
89 odd an even you get an odd
144 even number.

Standards: Patterns, numbers, reasoning, communication

Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Materials Needed: Pencil
Lesson 2 of 10, work in pairs Math Journal or Notebook

There are many patterns in the Fibonacci 2. In the answers to each sum in problem 1, you
numbers. Open your notebook to look at the list dont see the Fibonacci numbers. You can see
of Fibonacci numbers that you made in Lesson 1. numbers that are close to the Fibonacci numbers.
Make sure that they are How do the answers relate to the Fibonacci
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so numbers?
on. The answers are one less than the Fibonacci
numbers.
One pattern can be seen when you add up
Fibonacci numbers. 3. Predict What is the next step in the pattern of
additions? What answer do you expect?
1. Write the sums below in your math journal, The next addition is 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8 + 13
along with the answers that go in the blanks. and you expect the answer to be 33, which is one
less than 34. It is.
1 + 1 = ___2____
4. Check Check to see if your prediction is
1 + 1 + 2 = ___4____ correct by completing the next several steps in the
pattern.
1 + 1 + 2 + 3 = ___7____ 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8 + 13 + 21 = 54
1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8 + 13 + 21 + 34 = 88
1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 = __12____

1 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 8 = __20____

Standards: Patterns, number theory, reasoning

 Materials Needed: Pencil
Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Math Journal or Notebook
Lesson 3 of 10, work in pairs Calculator (optional)
1. Write the sums below in your math journal, along with
the answers that go in the blanks.
Review of exponents: An exponent tells you how 12 + 12 =____2___ When you have 12 + 12 , do the exponents
many times to multiply a number by itself. For first, so the answer is 1 + 1 = 2.
example, 52 = 5 5 and 53 = 5 5 5. 12 + 22 =___5____

You can also see an exponent of 2 as giving the 22 + 32 =____13____

area of a square:
32 + 52 =____34__
52 = 5 5 shows the area of the square of side
length 5. 52 + 82 =___89___
2. What is the pattern of the answers you got? (Are the
answers related to the Fibonacci numbers?) Yes, the
5 answers are Fibonacci numbersbut you skip some in
between.
5 3. Predict What is the step in the pattern of exponents
and additions? What answer do you expect? You may
have to add a few more Fibonacci numbers to your list to
Now we will use exponents to see another
get the next step.
pattern in the Fibonacci numbers. The next equation is 82 + 132 , and you expect it to be 233
because the Fibonacci numbers are being skipped. When
Remember that the Fibonacci numbers are we check, we see that 82 + 132 = 64 + 169 = 233.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 4. Check Check to see if your prediction correct by
610, and so on. completing the next several steps in the pattern.
132 + 212 = 610 and 212 + 342 = 1597. The next
Fibonacci numbers not listed at the left are 987 and 1597,
so the pattern seems to continue.

Standards: Patterns, number theory, reasoning

 Materials Needed: Pencil
Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Math Journal or Notebook
Lesson 4 of 10, work in pairs Master to go with Fibonacci Numbers Lesson 4
3. Make a table like the one shown below in your
notebook.
Row of ____ Number of ways to cover with squares
(Text of left hand side deleted to make room for squares and rectangles
answers.) 3 3
1. Now figure out how many ways there are to 4 5
cover the row of 4 squares. Record all of the 5 8
different pictures in your notebook. 4. Predict Look back at the list of Fibonacci numbers you
made on Lesson 1 and compare it to the numbers in the
table above. What do you think will be the next row in the
table?
The correct prediction is that itll be 13. A common incorrect
prediction is that it will be 12. Allow students to have that
prediction and discover the right answer in #5.
5. Check Use the row of 6 squares to see if your
prediction is correct.

2. Repeat with 5 squares.

6. Challenge Question Can you find all of the ways to

cover a row of 7 squares with these small squares and
rectangles? This is toughthere are 21 of them! Students
need to work methodically to list them all.

Standards: Patterns, combinations, reasoning

Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Materials Needed: Pencil
Lesson 5 of 10, work in pairs Math Journal or Notebook

Remember that the Fibonacci numbers are 1. Write the numbers below as a sum of Fibonacci
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so number (without using any number twice)
on.
55 = 34 + 21 (there may be other answers)
Every counting number can be written as the
sum of Fibonacci numbers, where no number is 75 = 55 + 13 + 5 + 2 (there may be other answers)
used more than once.
200 = 144+55+1 (there may be other answers)

These examples show how this works. 2. Is there more than one way to write some
numbers as a sum of Fibonacci numbers? For
9=8+1 example, we could write 9 = 8 + 1 or instead as
25 = 21 + 3 + 1 9 = 5 + 3 + 1. What other numbers can you write
100 = 89 + 8 + 3 in more than one way?
There are multiple answers. Check to make sure no
Fibonacci number was used twice.
3. Explain Do you find a method that would
always work for picking the right Fibonacci
numbers to add up to the numbers? Write one or
two sentences to explain how you could find the
numbers to add. One possible answer: Try to start
with the largest possible Fibonacci number.

Standards: Patterns, number theory, communication

Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Materials Needed: Pencil
Lesson 6 of 10, work in pairs Math Journal or Notebook
Calculator (optional)
2. Look at the list of Fibonacci numbers to the left,
Remember that the Fibonacci numbers are and at the pattern of divisions done in problem 1.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so Figure out the pattern, and fill in the next 6 pieces
on. of the pattern. Record your answers in a column
Now lets look at another pattern in the Fibonacci as shown below.
numbers.
13 8 = 1.625
1. Find the quotients, using long division or a
21 13 = ___1.615__
calculator. Record the answer up through the
thousandths place. Record the problem and the 34 21 = ___1.619___
answer in your math journal.
55 34 = 1.618
1 1= ____1______
89 55 = 1.618
2 1 = ____2______
144 89 = 1.618
3. Examine Now look at the list of answers you
3 2 = ___1.5_____
got for problems 1 and 2. Are the answers getting
close to some number? Write down your ideas
5 3 = ___1.667__
about the answer, and youll use them in Lesson 7.
Theyre getting closer to 1.618.
8 5 = ___1.6____

Standards: Patterns, division, reasoning

Fibonacci Numbers and the Materials Needed: Pencil
Math Journal or Notebook
Golden Ratio ANSWERS Calculator (optional)
Lesson 7 of 10, work in pairs Boxes or cans
1. Collect boxes and cans from home, or use some
that are in the classroom. For boxes, measure the
Look at the answer to Question 3 of Lesson 6 height and width of the boxes, and for cans,
before you read further. measure the height and diameter. Make a table of
what you measured.
If you keep doing divisions of consecutive (one Description Height Width longer one
right after the other) Fibonacci numbers, like you in cm in cm shorter one
did in Lesson 6, you will get closer and closer to a Cereal box 30.0 19.4 1.546
special number called the golden ratio. The
golden ratio shows up in art, architecture, music, Answers will vary
and nature. The ancient Greeks thought that
rectangles whose sides form a golden ratio were 2. Examine Is the quotient close to the golden
pleasing to look at. ratio ? It probably will never exactly equal ,
but many of the items are probably close. Which
The golden ratio is often symbolized by the ones are closest?
Greek letter phi, which looks like this: . It is the
number = 1.6180339887 (and so on). When 3. Explain Why do you think that the common
you write out the decimal, it continues on forever household items show the golden ratio?
without repeating or making a pattern.
4. Independent Research Do an internet search
on golden ratio architecture, golden ratio art,
or golden ratio nature and see what else you can
learn about the golden ratio.

Standards: Measurement, data collection, communication

 Materials Needed: Pencil
Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Math Journal or Notebook
Lesson 8 of 10, work in pairs Graph Paper
Then make a new square below what youve already
made. It must be 5x5 to share a side with the figure you
already have.
Remember that the Fibonacci numbers are
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so 2x2
3x3
on.
The Fibonacci numbers can be visualized as a 1x1 1x1

spiral of squares. First make a 1x1 square. Then

make a square that shares one side of the first
and is also 1x1.
5x5
1x1 1x1
Then make a new square above the 1x1 squares
that is 2x2.
1. Continue this pattern on a piece of graph paper (the
2x2 next square will be to the right, then above, then to the
left, then below, and so on). Make sure you start near the
middle of the paper to make room.
See teachers guide or have students compare answers with
1x1 1x1 an online image: Go to Google Images (images.google.com)
Then make a new square to the left of the ones and search Fibonacci rectangle.
youve madeit has to be 3x3 if it shares a whole 2. Look again at the ratios you computed in Lesson 7.
side with what youve already drawn. Now think about the rectangles in all of the in-between
steps (such as the rectangles shown on this card). Write
2x2 down the ratio between the long side and the short side of
each in-between step. What do you notice?
3x3 These ratios are the same as the ones in lesson 7.
1x1 1x1
Standards: Patterns, number theory, reasoning
 Materials Needed:
Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Math Journal or Notebook
Lesson 9 of 10, work in pairs Calculator (optional)
1. Compare Redo some of the examples in
Lessons 1-6, except now use the Lucas numbers
Franois douard Anatole Lucas (pronounced instead of the Fibonacci numbers. Carefully
loo KAH) studied mathematics in the 1800s. He record your results in your math journal. Some
came up with a new number sequence, which are questions you could ask are:
called the Lucas numbers. Do Lucas numbers follow the odd, odd, even
pattern, or something similar? yes
The Lucas numbers are made in just the same Does the golden ratio show up when you
way as the Fibonacci numbers, except the first take quotients of consecutive (one right after
two numbers are 2 and 1. the other) Lucas numbers? yes
If you dont remember how to make the Can you write any counting number as a sum
Fibonacci numbers, look back at Lesson 1. of Lucas numbers if you do not repeat any of
the Lucas numbers? probably
The Lucas are: Do other number patterns show up in the
2 Lucas numbers? Answers will vary.
1 As you do this exercise, you may find out that
3 the answer to some of the questions is, No,
4 there isnt a pattern. Learning that there is not
7 the same pattern in the Lucas numbers is also
11 interestingmathematicians like to learn
18 when things are different as well as when they
29 are the same. So, when you find that there isnt
and so on. a pattern, record that in your math journal
also!

Standards: Patterns, number theory, reasoning

Fibonacci Numbers ANSWERS Materials Needed: Pencil
Lesson 10 of 10, work individually or in pairs Math Journal or Notebook
Internet or library for research

Create This is your chance to be creative with 3. Tell one of your classmates about your number
mathematics! Create your own sequence of sequence, and learn about the number sequence
numbers. Perhaps you will use the same rule as your classmate created.
the Fibonacci and Lucas numbers. Perhaps you
will use a different rule to create the sequence.

1. Write down the rule to create your sequence

in your notebook. Also write down the first 10- 4. On Your Own Prepare a presentation about
12 numbers in the sequence. Give your numbers your number sequence and the patterns in it.
a name! Make a slide show in PowerPoint or make a poster
to share with your class.

2. Compare Look again at the patterns you

learned in Lessons 1-6. Does your number
sequence have some of the same patterns? Are 5. Independent Research Do some research on
there other patterns in your number sequence? the internet to find out more about the Fibonacci
Carefully write down which patterns you have. numbers. Read about Leonardo Fibonacci or
Also write down which patterns you looked for Franois douard Anatole Lucas. Write a report
that your number sequence does not have. or prepare a presentation.

Skills: Patterns, number theory, reasoning, communication