Notice and Build Patterns

Overview

Students investigate repeating and growing patterns using counters, linking cubes and bead strings. Following the concrete–pictorial–language sequence, they build, draw and explain patterns, then apply their thinking to a growing arrangement of chairs.

Learning intentions

• WALT construct and continue repeating and growing patterns.
• WALT represent a pattern with objects, drawings and numbers.
• WALT describe what stays the same and what changes.
• WALT explain a pattern clearly using mathematical language.

Success criteria

• I can build and continue a repeating or growing pattern.
• I can draw or record my pattern so someone else can follow it.
• I can explain the rule, including what changes each time.
• I can solve a growing-row problem and justify my answer.

Curriculum links

• Number: recognise, describe and continue patterns in numbers and objects.
• Algebraic thinking: notice relationships, make generalisations and express a rule in words.
• Mathematical communication: represent ideas in different ways and explain thinking.
• Mathematical practices: use materials, diagrams and discussion to reason, make connections and solve problems.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Launch and notice

Open with the hook and pattern examples. Display a repeating bead pattern and a growing cube pattern without naming the rules. Ask: “What do you notice? What might come next? How do you know?” Accept visual, verbal and numerical observations. Introduce the lesson goal: build, draw and explain patterns.

2. 5–10 minutes – Teacher modelling

Model the concrete–pictorial–language sequence. Build a pattern such as red-blue-blue, red-blue-blue, then draw it and describe: “The unit repeats every three objects.” Next build rows of 1, 2, 3 and 4 cubes, draw the rows and say: “The number of cubes increases by one each time.” Emphasise that a rule tells what changes and how often.

3. 10–27 minutes – Investigation in groups

Place students in groups of three or four, with roles such as builder, recorder, checker and explainer. Provide counters, linking cubes and bead strings, then distribute the pattern investigation recording sheet. Students choose or are given a starting pattern and complete the three stages: construct with objects, represent pictorially, and explain in words.

Include the problem: “Chairs are arranged in rows. Row 1 has 1 chair, row 2 has 2 chairs, row 3 has 3 chairs, and so on. How many chairs will be in row 6? Build it, draw it and explain how the pattern grows.” Encourage students to record at least the first five terms and check another group’s prediction.

Enabling students use partially completed patterns and choose counters, cubes or bead strings. Consolidating students continue patterns and state exactly what changes. Extending students create a pattern with two changing features, such as rows increasing by one while colours alternate, and explain both rules.

4. 27–35 minutes – Compare and reason

Pause groups and display selected examples from investigation prompts and sharing slides. Ask groups to identify whether each example is repeating or growing, what stays the same, what changes, and how the pattern could be continued. Invite students to compare two representations of the same pattern, such as cubes and a drawing.

5. 35–40 minutes – Sharing and mathematical language

Invite three groups to share: one repeating pattern, one growing pattern and one two-feature pattern if available. Use the sentence frame: “Our pattern starts with ____. Each time ____. We know because ____.” Record useful language such as repeat, term, increase, decrease, row, rule and feature. Correct the misconception that every pattern is simply “adding one”.

6. 40–45 minutes – Exit check

Return to plenary and exit-check slide. Students complete the final question on the pattern investigation recording sheet independently: “Draw or build the next two terms: 2, 4, 6, __, __. What is the rule?” Add: “How is this different from a repeating pattern?” Collect responses as students leave.

Resources

• the pattern hook, modelling sequence, investigation prompts and plenary
• the pattern investigation recording sheet
• Linking cubes
• Two-colour counters
• Bead strings
• Large paper or mini-whiteboards
• Pens, pencils and coloured pencils
• Group role cards or displayed role instructions
• Prepared examples of repeating and growing patterns

Assessment

• Observe group construction and questioning: can students identify what repeats or changes?
• Check drawings and explanations for a clear correspondence between the concrete pattern and its representation.
• Use the exit check to identify students needing further support with repeating versus growing patterns in Lesson 2.

Differentiation

• Support learners with patterns that have two colours or a single changing feature, partially completed sequences and oral rehearsal before writing.
• Provide a choice of materials, enlarged examples, visual sentence frames and a peer explainer for students with fine-motor, language or processing needs.
• EAL learners can use gestures, labelled examples and the words repeat, grow, row, more and rule; accept an oral explanation or labelled drawing.
• Extend confident students by asking them to create two different patterns with the same first three terms, or a pattern with two changing features, and explain how they know their rule works.