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WillTeachMaths

Thinking-first maths tools

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Pattern and emergence

Rotation each time

Place one seed, turn by the same amount, move outwards and repeat. Small changes in the turn can create strikingly different patterns.

Rotation each time

What happens if a plant turns before placing each new seed?

Inspired by the MathsIsFun sunflower tool, this model places one new seed, turns by the same fraction of a full rotation, then places the next seed slightly further out. The spirals are not drawn in advance: they appear from the repeated rule.

What to look for

Simple fractions, such as `1/2` or `2/5`, make repeated directions, so seeds line up into obvious arms. A golden-ratio turn avoids simple repetition, so the points spread out more evenly.

See the MathsIsFun inspiration