Identifying the Pattern Unit

Young learners need to see and touch patterns before they can name them. Growing patterns require students to focus on how one step changes from the last, which is easier with concrete materials than with pictures alone.

• Foundation
• Mathematics
• 3 activities
• 15 min–25 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the repeating unit within a given visual pattern.
2. Continue a repeating pattern by adding the correct elements.
3. Describe the rule of a repeating pattern in words.
4. Create a new repeating pattern based on a given rule.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Building Staircases

In small groups, students use blocks to build a 'staircase'. The first step is 1 block, the second is 2, and so on. Students must predict how many blocks the next step will need and explain the 'rule' (add one more) to their group.

Prepare & details

What part of this pattern repeats over and over?

Facilitation Tip: During Building Staircases, walk the room with a tower of four blocks and ask each pair to show you the next step before they build it, so you can catch errors early.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Stations Rotation

⏱ 20 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Growing and Shrinking

Set up stations where patterns either grow or shrink (e.g., 5, 4, 3...). Students use counters to model the sequence at each station and must work together to decide if the pattern is 'getting bigger' or 'getting smaller'.

Prepare & details

Can you circle the piece that repeats in this pattern?

Facilitation Tip: At the Growing and Shrinking station, place a timer visible to all students so they know when to rotate and when to freeze their thinking.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 15 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Growing Story

Tell a story where an animal finds one more berry every day. Students think about how many berries there will be on day four, share their drawing with a partner, and then the class builds the pattern together on the floor.

Prepare & details

How many items are in the part that keeps repeating?

Facilitation Tip: After Think-Pair-Share, invite pairs to stand with their pattern strips and invite the class to clap once for a correct rule and twice for a rule that still needs work.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start with physical change before symbols. Let students feel the difference between a tower that grows by one block and one that repeats the same height. Avoid showing number sentences too soon, because the abstract symbols can mask the concrete action of adding or removing one item. Research shows that children who build and describe patterns out loud before writing them down show stronger understanding later.

What to Expect

Students will point to the extra block or object that shows the growth and use words like 'one more' or 'the same.' They will predict the next step with confidence and explain the rule in simple terms.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Building Staircases, watch for students who make each step the same height, creating a repeating pattern instead of a growing pattern.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to compare their tower to yours: 'Look at my tower. Did I add the same number of blocks each time or did it get taller by one each time?' Then have them rebuild with one extra block on top each step.

Common Misconception

During Station Rotation: Growing and Shrinking, watch for students who count all blocks in the new step instead of noticing only the change.

What to Teach Instead

Give each student a wipe-off marker to circle only the new block added in each step; seeing a single marked block makes the 'one more' rule visible.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Building Staircases, present a quick visual pattern on the board of circles that grow by one each time. Ask students to whisper the next three steps to a partner and hold up their fingers to show how many circles will appear next.

Discussion Prompt

During Think-Pair-Share, after pairs share their rule, ask one pair to model their staircase with blocks while the class claps the number of new blocks added each time.

Exit Ticket

After Station Rotation, give each student a small sticky note with two empty towers. Ask them to draw the next two steps and write the rule they used to decide how many blocks to add.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Give students a starting set of blocks and a rule such as 'start with 3, add 2 each time.' Ask them to build the first five steps and record the total number of blocks at each step.
• Scaffolding: Provide a sentence stem on a card: 'The next tower has ____ because I ____ to the last one.'
• Deeper: Introduce a second rule, such as alternating 'add one block' and 'add two blocks,' and have students build and describe this new pattern.

Key Vocabulary

pattern	A sequence of events, numbers, or items that repeats in a predictable way.
repeating unit	The specific part of a pattern that occurs over and over again.
sequence	A series of items or events that follow a particular order.
rule	The instruction or principle that explains how a pattern is formed or continued.