Pattern Parade

Activities One and Two

Students need to work systematically with a classmate to identify and continue patterns. A table is n effective way to do this, especially if there is more than one attribute in the pattern. For example:
c. i.

Students are not asked to calculate the total number of arms or related pattern, but finding the totals makes an interesting extension.
c. ii.

c. iii.

Question c. iii is the most difficult pattern on this page. If students are struggling, suggest that they take one suit and look at the relationship between the numbers on the cards for that suit. Then look at another suit, and so on.
Students can continue the tables to work out the next and tenth object in each pattern.

Similar work with these types of patterns is given in Algebra, Figure It Out, Levels 2–3, pages 1–2 and Answers and Teachers’ Notes: Algebra, Figure It Out, Levels 2–3, pages 11–12.
In Activity Two, students are asked to make up their own patterns. If necessary, you may like to stipulate that each pattern has to repeat fairly often (at the most, only four objects in the pattern) otherwise the pattern will be too hard to identify.

Answers to Activites

Activity One

c. Answers will vary. The patterns for each are:
i. Each arm increases by 1.
ii. + 3 – 4 + 3 – 4 etc.
iii. Cards follow a suit sequence of spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts. Each time a suit is repeated, the number is 3 higher than the previous time. For example, the next spade card after the ace of spades (1) is the 4 of spades and the next club card after the 3 of clubs is the 6 of clubs.
iv. Add 1 rod of the last new colour and 1 of the next size up.
v. The triangle passes through a 90° clockwise rotation in each step.
Activity Two
Answers will vary.