Maths art and making · Maths CAS idea
Photography project on pattern and proportion
Creativity
Take a series of photographs exploring symmetry, spirals and proportion in your surroundings, and test popular claims about the golden ratio honestly.
Where the maths comes in
Measuring ratios in images and judging which claims hold up.
Which CAS strand it fits
- Creativity: The arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
Your CAS coordinator decides how an experience counts at your school. Strand summaries are provisional (our words, being checked).
How to run it
- Read about claims of the golden ratio in nature and art.
- Shoot a series of photos with a theme.
- Measure ratios in your images and compare with the claims.
- Exhibit or publish the series with captions.
How to evidence it
- Contact sheets and selected images
- Measurements
- Captions and any audience feedback
Date everything and keep it in your school's CAS portfolio as you go. More on what counts as evidence.
Reflection prompts
Questions to think about, not answers to copy. Write your reflections in your own words, in whatever form your school accepts.
- Which claim did your measurements not support?
- How did your eye for pattern change over the project?
- What did you choose to leave out of the final series?
Learning outcomes this often gives a chance to show
- Challenge and new skills. What could you not do at the start that you can do now? Which moment felt most uncomfortable, and what did you do next?
- Strengths and growth. Which part of this did you find easiest, and why do you think that is? What would someone who watched you say you need to work on?
- Ethics. What choice in this experience had a right and a wrong way to do it? Whose interests did you have to protect (privacy, safety, fairness), and how?
Whether you meet an outcome depends on what you actually do and reflect on, not on the idea. Outcome labels are our short summaries, being checked.
Safety and ethics
- Ask permission before photographing people; do not photograph children who are not in your project.
Agree every plan with your CAS coordinator first. Safety and ethics for maths CAS.
Sketch curves and patterns first in the free online grapher.