Lesson 1
Patterns that Grow
Lesson Purpose
Lesson Narrative
In grade 3, students identified patterns in numbers and used mathematical operations to explain them. In this lesson and the next few, students continue the work of analyzing and describing shape and number patterns, looking for features of patterns that are not apparent in the rule.
The patterns in this lesson consist of shapes that use an increasing number of objects in each step. Students describe not only the rule of the pattern (that is, how the number of objects is changing), but also any features of the patterns that are not explicit in the rule. They also extend patterns and make predictions by looking for and making use of structure (MP7), rather than by drawing or writing out each step along the way.
- Action and Expression
- MLR2
Activity 2: Taller and Taller
Learning Goals
Teacher Facing
- Analyze and describe number and shape patterns.
Student Facing
- Let's describe patterns and think about what might come next.
Required Materials
Materials to Gather
Required Preparation
Activity 2:
- Consider preparing a set of pattern blocks for building the first two or three steps of the giraffe pattern. The set should include 6 hexagons, 6 triangles, 3 trapezoids, and 24 squares.
Lesson Timeline
| Warm-up | 10 min |
| Activity 1 | 15 min |
| Activity 2 | 20 min |
| Lesson Synthesis | 10 min |
| Cool-down | 5 min |
Teacher Reflection Questions
Reflect on whose thinking was heard today. Reflect on whose thinking was not heard but could have enriched the conversations. What prompts or structures might better enable the latter to share their voices and reasoning?
Suggested Centers
- Can You Draw It? (1–5), Stage 4: Area and Perimeter (Supporting)
- Five in a Row: Multiplication (3–5), Stage 2: Factors 1–9 (Supporting)