Children's Descriptions of Fractal Shapes

Abstract

Elementary-school students (N = 359), who had not been introduced to fractal geometry, examined and described the shape of three fractal sets, i.e., batter-fried chicken, popcorn, and curly leaf lettuce. The data were generated during individual, untimed, semistructured interviews. In general, the children used terminology of classical geometry to describe the shape of the popcorn, and they used adjectives, phrases, created words, and classical geometric terminology to describe the shape of the chicken and lettuce. A framework of terminology that children might use in describing fractal shapes was not discernible from the findings but the results suggest that the children's descriptions may have been influenced by the properties of the different fractal sets.