Kōkiri Learn

Week 1 of 5

See the pattern and describe how it grows

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  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Session 1 · SOLVE: See the Pattern

Growing patterns

  1. 10 minHook: a toothpick pattern of squares in a row (4, 7, 10 toothpicks). How many toothpicks for 10 squares? For 100? Commit to a guess.
  2. 20 minBuild the first four steps of three patterns with tiles or toothpicks: the row of squares, an L-shape that grows on both arms, and a square that grows into bigger squares.
  3. 15 minDescribe each pattern in words: what stays the same, and what grows each time? Where can you see the growth in the picture?
  4. 5 minShare one description that helped you see the pattern differently.

Session 2 · SOLVE: Organise Information

Put it in a table

  1. 15 minMake a table for each pattern: step number (n) and number of pieces.
  2. 15 minFind the differences between rows. Same difference every time? That's linear. Differences that grow? That's non-linear.
  3. 15 minStacking cups: measure stacks of 1 to 6 cups and add them to a table. Is the pattern linear?
  4. 5 minPredict step 10 for each pattern from the table alone.

Getting started

Start with the row of squares. Colour the first toothpick in one colour and every group of three added after it in another.

Stretch

Find a pattern where the differences themselves go up by the same amount each time (like 1, 3, 6, 10, 15), and describe it.

Checkpoint

Each student has a table and a word description for at least two patterns, and can say which is linear.

Activities for this week

  • Toothpick fences: How many toothpicks do you need for a row of 100 squares, and which row uses exactly 100 toothpicks?
  • Stacking cups: How tall is a stack of 50 cups, and how many cups fit under the classroom table?

Useful this week