Activity 01
Small Groups: Hundred Chart Patterns Hunt
Print hundred charts with missing numbers or highlighted paths. Groups hunt for patterns by circling numbers that skip by fives or tens, then predict and fill the next three in sequence. Share findings with the class by drawing paths on a large chart.
Analyze the patterns that emerge when counting by ones, tens, and fives.
Facilitation TipDuring Hundred Chart Patterns Hunt, remind students to whisper-count to avoid echo counting and to keep the group moving at an even pace.
What to look forProvide students with a partially filled hundred chart. Ask them to fill in the missing numbers in a specific row or column. Then, ask them to write one sentence describing the pattern they used.
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Activity 02
Pairs: Skip Counting Chains
Partners use linking cubes or beads to build chains counting by tens to 120, then by fives. They snap chains together to compare lengths and predict how far the next skips go. Record sequences on paper strips.
Predict the next number in a sequence based on observed patterns.
Facilitation TipFor Skip Counting Chains, circulate and listen for pairs correcting each other’s skip patterns, stepping in only when the count drifts off track.
What to look forCall out a number sequence, such as '5, 10, 15, __, 25'. Ask students to write the next number on a mini-whiteboard and hold it up. Repeat with different patterns (e.g., counting by ones, tens).
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Activity 03
Whole Class: Number Line Relay
Mark a floor number line to 120 with tape. Teams relay by hopping forward by ones, fives, or tens as called, landing on numbers and calling them aloud. Switch patterns midway and discuss path efficiencies.
Explain how a hundred chart helps us understand number relationships.
Facilitation TipIn Number Line Relay, place number cards in random order on the floor so students practice flexible sequencing rather than reciting from memory.
What to look forShow students a hundred chart and ask: 'How does this chart help you see that 37 is 10 more than 27?' 'What pattern do you notice in the last column?' Encourage students to use vocabulary like 'pattern', 'sequence', and 'numeral'.
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Activity 04
Individual: Pattern Prediction Cards
Provide cards with partial sequences like 45, 50, 55, __. Students write predictions, color patterns on mini hundred charts, and explain choices in journals. Collect for quick conferences.
Analyze the patterns that emerge when counting by ones, tens, and fives.
Facilitation TipWhen students complete Pattern Prediction Cards individually, ask them to whisper-read their predictions aloud so you can catch mispronunciations early.
What to look forProvide students with a partially filled hundred chart. Ask them to fill in the missing numbers in a specific row or column. Then, ask them to write one sentence describing the pattern they used.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teachers anchor this work in concrete materials—hundred charts, counters, and number lines—and move students toward abstract reasoning through repeated, scaffolded talk. Avoid rushing students to numerals before they can articulate the pattern in words. Research shows that students need at least six to eight exposures to a pattern before they internalize it, so we return to the hundred chart and skip-counting chains across multiple lessons to build retention.
By the end of the activities, students confidently read and write numbers to 120, explain patterns in rows and columns, and skip count by ones, fives, and tens. They use precise vocabulary like ‘tens place,’ ‘increase by ten,’ and ‘sequence’ when describing their observations.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Hundred Chart Patterns Hunt, watch for students who skip from 99 to 101, treating 100 as a reset.
Prompt the group to trace the path from 99 to 100 with their fingers and say the numbers aloud together, reinforcing that 100 is the next logical number in the sequence.
During Skip Counting Chains, watch for students who only place counters on even numbers when skip counting by fives.
Have the pair recount aloud while moving counters one space at a time, and ask them to name the parity of each number they land on to reveal the alternating pattern.
During Hundred Chart Patterns Hunt, watch for students who claim the chart has no special patterns, just random numbers.
Ask the group to stand in a circle and take turns pointing to the end of each row, then the top of each column, naming the increase in ones and tens respectively to make the structure explicit.
Methods used in this brief