Patterning Unit

 We have been working On identifying patterns in 4/5S for the last week. I have been teaching students a strategy I call "frog jumps" to help them identify a pattern rule from a list of numbers. Students start by drawing a line between the first and second number (the frog jump). Students then have to decide whether the first number increases or decreases and mark a + or - on top of the frog jump to identify whether it would be adding or subtracting.

Students then count how much is between each number. They may begin at the smaller number to count up to the larger one if it helps. Once they know the difference between the two numbers, they put that number next to operation sign on top of the frog jump. 

Students then repeat the steps for the second and third numbers, the third and fourth, and so on. This should allow them to see the pattern rule.

When writing the pattern rule, students should always begin by saying which number the pattern should start on, then tell how it increases or decreases and whether it does so each time or alternates between two. For example, the pattern rule for the above would be:

Start at 16, add 9 each time.

Please have students practise identifying patterns like this at home, as well as creating rules of their own and a list of numbers that would go along with their pattern rule.