Lesson 8 — Activity 1: Making Predictions from Patterns
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Lesson 8 — Activity 1:
Making Predictions from Patterns
Patterns are all around us!
Patterns are everywhere. However, many times we look at patterns and do not "see" them.
Did you ever count the number of stairs going up or down, count the number of windows in your home, or notice the pattern in your wallpaper? It is our way
to try and establish order and to make sense of our everyday experiences through patterns.
Image Source: Pixabay
Image Source: Pixabay
Image Source: Pixabay
Patterns help children learn sequencing and make predictions, which leads to mathematical skills, logic structure in algebra, and to establishing order in life. A toddler will sort green blocks from yellow ones as he builds a tower. He begins to notice things repeat in a certain order by size, shape, or colour. An older child notices slightly more complicated sequencing, such as knowing the days of the week, months of the year, or odd and even numbering.
Here are just a few examples of where you might find patterns.
What pattern do you see in the following pictures? You likely see pairs of animals. That is, you see two animals that are exactly the same.
©iStock
©iStock
Image Source: Pixabay
Image Source: Pixabay
Image Source: Pixabay
If the next pictures you added were of dogs, how many dogs would you expect to add?
If you answered two, you are correct. You have predicted the future!
If you answered two, you are correct. You have predicted the future!
In this pattern, the single happy face changes to form a triangle two units high.
Image Source: Pixabay
Image Source: Pixabay
In the next sequence of the pattern, the happy faces change to form a triangle three units high.
Image Source: Pixabay
How many units high would you expect the triangle of happy faces to be in the next picture? Think about the answer, then click on the tab below to check your answer.
If you said four units high, you are correct! Great job!
Finding and understanding patterns gives us great power. With patterns, we can learn to predict the future, discover new things, and better understand the world around us!
Patterns occur in numbers too! Math is especially useful when it helps you predict, and number patterns are all about prediction. What will the 50th number of this pattern be? How many cupcakes would we need if we gave a party for the town instead
of just our class?
Recognizing number patterns is also an important problem-solving skill. If you see a pattern when you look at specific examples, you can use that pattern to generalize what you see into a broader solution to a problem.
Below are some examples of how we can use patterns in numbers.
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, …
What number would you predict comes next?
12 — The numbers are going up by 2. To continue the pattern, you would add 2 each time!
Let's try it again:
3, 6, 9, ...
What number would you predict comes next?
12 — The numbers are going up by 3. To continue the pattern, you would add 3 each time!
12 — The numbers are going up by 3. To continue the pattern, you would add 3 each time!
Let's try it one more time:
3, 6, 12, ...
What number would you predict comes next?
24 — the numbers are doubling! To continue the pattern, you could double the next numbers in the pattern OR you could multiply by 2 each time!
24 — the numbers are doubling! To continue the pattern, you could double the next numbers in the pattern OR you could multiply by 2 each time!
You can also find patterns in equations. For example:
2 x 1 = 2
2 x 2 = 4
2 x 3 = 6
2 x 4 = 8
2 x 5 = 10
2 x 6 = 12
Click on the Play button below to watch a video on finding patterns in numbers.
Self-check!
Making Predictions
Try this!
Answer these questions on your own first.
When you are finished, click on the tabs below to check your answers!