This activity has students making organized lists and finding patterns to help them solve problems.
Additional Resources
Lessons for Algebraic Thinking by Maryann Wickett, Katharine Kharas, and Marilyn Burns
Family Math: The Middle Grades by Virginia Thompson and Karen Mayfield-Ingram
Elementary School Mathematics by John A. Van De Walle
Many of the values of attribute activities and pattern analysis are the same: development of logical reasoning, perseverance in solving problems, a willingness to solve problems, and the ability to test ideas.
Younger children love to build and extend patterns. When using patterning with older children, it is also a matter of testing ideas, extending patterns to test relationships, and developing general formulas. All of these are important aspects of mathematical thinking and problem solving. Numeric sequences are good early examples of the concept of functional relationships. Each term in the sequence or pattern has a unique value, depending on its position.
Younger children need to use repeating patterns. Older children should develop patterns that grow. Be careful not to move too quickly because children of all ages need plenty of opportunities to construct ideas about patterning.
1. Demonstrate a positive learning attitude toward mathematics.
Invitation to Learn
Ask, "How many people can sit around your kitchen table at home?"
Call on several students to respond. Draw a square on the overhead or board.
Ask students, "How many people could sit around this table if one chair
fits on each side?" Draw lines to represent chairs.
Instructional Procedures
Possible Extensions/Adaptations
Challenge students to do the same thing (make an organized list and find the
pattern) with triangular tables, hexagonal tables, trapezoid tables, etc.
Attribute activities also help students see patterns. Use attribute blocks to have students make logical connections between the blocks using the words and, or, or not.
Some students may need to use pattern blocks to visualize the chairs around the square tables. Have them available for those students (everyone will use pattern blocks in the Let’s Build It activity). Some students may find it easier to see the clues of pattern relationships in drawings rather than in charts, so allow this as necessary.
Homework & Family Connections
Challenge students to use their own kitchen tables as a base to create patterns.
What if they used two of their tables? How many people could sit around it?
What if they had a triangular table? What patterns would emerge then?
Monitor students’ drawings and lists as they fill in the numbers. Pay close attention to their pattern theories. Have everyone continue their lists through the number ten and assess if the corresponding number of chairs is correct.