Lesson 21

Pattern Block Puzzles (optional)

Warm-up: Notice and Wonder: Pattern Block Bees (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this warm-up is to elicit student ideas about composing the same shape in different ways. While students may notice and wonder many things about these shapes, how the same shape is composed in different ways and the ways to describe the shapes are the important discussion points. Students are encouraged to carefully explain the shapes they see using the geometric language they’ve learned in previous lessons (MP6). For example, “The hexagon in one bee is made up of 2 rhombuses and 2 triangles in the other bee.”

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.

Student Facing

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Pattern block puzzle.

Pattern block puzzle.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “The shape looks like a bee. How are these two bees similar?” (They are the same shape and size. They have two trapezoids.)
  • “How are they different?” (One bee has 2 hexagons, but no rhombuses or triangles. The other has 4 rhombuses and 4 triangles, but no hexagons. One has 4 pieces all together, the other has 10 pieces.)
  • “We are going to keep thinking about how to make the same shape in different ways using pattern blocks in our first activity today.”

Activity 1: Pattern Block Puzzles (15 minutes)

Narrative

In this activity, students create their own Pattern Block Puzzles for each other. During the activity they must adhere to mathematical constraints and are encouraged to use mathematical language to compare the different ways they can complete each puzzle. Monitor for the different ways students use the mathematical language they learned throughout the unit, including ways they identify the names of shapes they compose and the way they use words like halves, thirds, or fourths to describe ways they compose shapes out of same-size pieces (MP6).

Action and Expression: Provide Access for Physical Action. Provide access to pre-cut materials to reduce barriers for students who need support with fine-motor skills and students who benefit from extra processing time.
Supports accessibility for: Fine Motor Skills, Organization, Visual-Spatial Processing

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Launch

  • Groups of 4
  • Give each student a piece of card stock and each group pattern blocks.
  • “We’re going to use hexagons, trapezoids, blue rhombuses, and triangles to make puzzles for our partners.”

Activity

  • “Trace each pattern block on the blank puzzle paper (card stock). When you’re done, trade with someone in your group to complete the activity.“
  • 5 minutes: independent work time
  • 5 minutes: partner work time

Student Facing

  1. Make a puzzle using 4 pattern blocks. Use at least 1 hexagon.
  2. Trace each pattern block on the blank puzzle paper.
  3. Trade the puzzle paper with another person in your group.
  4. Use the pattern blocks to show two different ways to make your partner’s puzzle. Sketch the two ways.

    Puzzle 1

    Dot grid.

    Puzzle 2
    Dot grid.

  5. Share one thing you notice about the puzzles.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite students to share what they noticed with members of their group and/or the class.

Activity 2: The Pattern Block Store (15 minutes)

Narrative

In this activity, students solve addition problems using money based on the Pattern Block Puzzles they sketched in the last activity.

The launch of the activity is an opportunity for students to reason which of the two designs will cost more before they complete any computations.

MLR7 Compare and Connect. Synthesis: After all strategies have been presented, lead a discussion comparing, contrasting, and connecting the different approaches. Ask, “Did anyone solve the problem the same way, but would explain it differently?”, “What did the representations have in common?”, “How were they different?”
Advances: Representing, Conversing

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • “At the Pattern Block Store, each pattern block shape has a different price.”
  • Display the price list.
  • “Which of the two puzzles that you sketched do you think will cost more to make? Puzzle 1 or 2?”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share responses.

Activity

  • “Use the price list to figure out how much your two puzzles would cost.”
  • 5 minutes: independent work time
  • 5 minutes: partner discussion
  • As students work, look for different addition strategies. Monitor for students who:
    • add like quantities first
    • add bigger or smaller coins first
    • add some coins mentally

Student Facing

shape cost
Pattern block. Hexagon.
Coin. A quarter.
Pattern block. Trapezoid.
A dime.
Pattern block. Rhombus.
Nickel.
Pattern block. Triangle.
Penny.

How much would the two puzzles you sketched cost at the Pattern Block Store? Show or explain your reasoning.

  1. Puzzle 1:
  2. Puzzle 2:

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite previously selected students to share.
  • “Is it possible to redesign the puzzle to save more money?” (Yes, I can switch a blue rhombus with two triangles.)

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

“Today we made Pattern Block Puzzles and solved addition problems with money based on our Pattern Block Store.”

“How did the number of pieces and the shapes you used affect the price of the design?” (Bigger shapes cost more money. I saw that I could replace the big shape with a few smaller ones to have a lower price.)