Mathematics · Grade 2

Active learning ideas

Patterns on Number Lines and Charts

Turn your students into pattern detectives as they explore the hidden rules and structures within numbers. This topic uses familiar tools like number lines and hundreds charts to make abstract patterns visible and fun.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• Ontario Curriculum (2020): Grade 2 - Algebra - C1.3

• 15–20 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Pairs

Hundreds Chart Detectives

Students use transparent counters or different coloured markers to cover numbers on a hundreds chart as they skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s. They then describe the visual patterns they see, such as vertical columns for 10s or alternating columns for 2s.

Analyse the patterns made by skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s on a hundreds chart.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage students to use precise language like 'column,' 'row,' and 'diagonal' to describe their findings.

What to look for

Observe students during partner work, listening for their use of vocabulary to describe patterns. Ask them to 'turn and talk' to explain the pattern they found to their partner.

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

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 15 min · Whole Class

Human Number Line

Create a large number line on the floor with tape. Students take turns starting at a given number and physically jumping along the line according to a skip counting rule provided by the teacher or another student.

Explain how a number line can show a growing pattern.

Facilitation Tip

Have the rest of the class say the numbers aloud as the student jumps to reinforce the pattern for everyone.

What to look for

Provide a worksheet with several number sequences that have missing numbers. Students must fill in the blanks and write the rule for each pattern (e.g., 'The rule is add 10').

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 20 min · Individual

Pattern Paths

Students are given a starting number and a rule (e.g., 'Start at 11, add 3'). They write out the first five numbers of the pattern and draw the corresponding jumps on a blank number line.

Compare the pattern of even numbers to the pattern of odd numbers.

Facilitation Tip

Provide pre-made number line templates to help students focus on the pattern rather than on drawing the line itself.

What to look for

Give students an exit ticket with a simple pattern. Ask them to circle a smiley face, neutral face, or sad face to show how confident they feel about finding the next number in the pattern.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with whole-body learning, like jumping on a floor-sized number line, to internalize the concept of intervals. Then, move to the hundreds chart, encouraging students to use colours to highlight patterns and make them stand out. Model mathematical language by thinking aloud: 'I see that all the numbers in this column end in a 4. I wonder why that is?' This prompts students to move from just seeing a pattern to analyzing it.

Students will learn to recognize, describe, and continue growing patterns, particularly those made by skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Skip counting must always start with the number you are counting by (e.g., counting by 5s must begin at 5).

  A skip counting pattern is simply repeated addition, and it can start from any number. Practice starting counts from various numbers, for example, 'Let's start at 3 and count by 5s: 3, 8, 13, 18...'

• When using a number line, the starting number is counted as the first 'jump'.

  Clarify that the 'jump' or 'hop' represents the interval or the space between two numbers. Model this by placing a finger on the starting number and then physically hopping to the next number while counting 'one jump'.

• Students describe the visual pattern on a hundreds chart without connecting it to the numerical rule.

  Explicitly bridge the visual and the numerical by asking guiding questions. For example, 'You noticed the pattern for 10s makes a straight column. What do you notice about the tens digit as you go down the column? What does that tell us we are doing each time?'

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation