Pattern Detectives

Room 11, has  been learning about patterns. To begin the learning journey, I needed to get an idea of what the class already knew about this subject area. Students were asked to make their own pattern. Everyone was able to create a pattern successfully, using materials that repeated in a sequence. M…

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From this activity it was clear the class  needed to learn what made a pattern a pattern and how to create them in different ways.

Together we looked at the idea that every pattern has a rule that repeats itself over and over in a sequence. The rule to a pattern is made up of one or more attributes, like shape and colour. As a class we brainstormed other attributes and this is what some students had to say:

We could go from big to small

Put some things straight and then other things sideways

We could go up, down, up, down

I challenged them to create their own pattern and identify  the pattern’s rule. To do this they had to place a pencil at the end of their rule to show which section of their pattern repeated itself. Some students were able to include 2-3 attributes in their patterns. Here are some of the patterns that were created.

I used colour and size. My rule is pink, purple, purple

Mine is a colour pattern and the rule is yellow, red, blue

Room 11 learnt about how patterns can grow bigger or smaller based on a rule. We looked at examples of growing patterns and students had to identify the rule that allowed them to do this. Students had to create their own growing patterns and explain the rule it followed. Here are some of their examples.


2024 Morehu

Paul Morehu

I am from Christchurch but moved to Taupō at the end of 2018. I am passionate about travelling with my most memorable trip being to Egypt. I also love keeping fit through sport, the gym and just getting out and exploring the outdoors.

I have been a qualified teacher working in New Zealand since 2013. Prior to that, I spent 8 years in Hong Kong working with Chinese children in primary schools.

I decided to pursue a career in teaching because I loved the idea of making a difference in the world by helping children learn and develop as people. It is rewarding to see the progress children make and to be a part of their learning journeys.

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