The Toothpick Problem

Materials

• toothpicks
• paper
• pencil

Lesson Summary

Students will create this pattern out of toothpicks. Have the students create a table listing each step in one column and the number of toothpicks in the other. Have students extend the table to reach 6 steps. Then have students graph their results on a coordinate grid (this will be linear).

Have students use this information to determine an equation for the toothpick pattern below.