JavaScript isn't enabled in your browser, so this file can't be opened. Enable and reload.

1 of 22

Teacher Notes

The goal is for students to see how a pattern is growing and extend from there.

Ask students to observe the first three steps. Count and record how many objects are in each step.

Ask them to sketch step 4 — be sure to say something like, “Just a quick sketch, meaning just a dot or a circle to represent the object.” I’m afraid you’ll have a few students try to draw a full pig if you don’t stress this. The given space for students to draw is intentional, otherwise they may take up a whole page just to draw a particular step.

What step you ask them to draw next depends on your students. Should you ask for step 5 or step 6 next? Step 10? Step 48? Build up slowly but surely, encourage that visual stretch and leap in their thinking.

When you see/hear confidence building, turn it around and ask, “What step number has 20 boxes?” Ask again and again.

The few lines at the bottom (or use the back side of paper) are for students to record what they know or notice about the relationship between the step number and the number of objects. Or, simply that they can describe how the pattern grows from one step to the next.

It’s important that you facilitate this routine as a number talk. Have students share their thinking with a shoulder partner, within a small group, and/or to the whole class. Allow quiet individual thinking time between questions.

Did you see the pattern grow the same way as ____? If not, how did you see it?

Is there any part of the pattern that always stays the same?

What about step 300? Of course we’re not drawing this as it would take too long, but describe what you would draw. How many objects are in this step?

Without drawing step [some larger number], how do you figure out how many objects are there?

When I give you the number of objects instead, how do you figure out which step number it is?

Eventually, start saying “any step” to elicit generalization. I got a group of 4th graders to generalize a pattern on my first time with them.

Please hold off on creating an “x/y table” as this practice ignores the structure of how the pattern is drawn. It focuses on the number of objects only and ignores how each student may see a pattern differently.

Source: visualpatterns.org, Slides by Fawn Nguyen, For more: Grassroots Mini-Workshop

2 of 22


Step 1 has _____ boxes.	Step 2 has _____ boxes.	Step 3 has _____ boxes.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #274 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ boxes.	Step _____ has _____ boxes.


Step _____ has _____ boxes.	Step _____ has _____ boxes.

3 of 22


Step 1 has ____ puppies.	Step 2 has ____ puppies.	Step 3 has ____ puppies.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #10 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ puppies.	Step _____ has _____ puppies.


Step _____ has _____ puppies.	Step _____ has _____ puppies.

4 of 22


Step 1 has ____ circles.	Step 2 has ____ circles.	Step 3 has ____ circles.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #125 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ circles.	Step _____ has _____ circles.


Step _____ has _____ circles.	Step _____ has _____ circles.

5 of 22


Step 1 has ____ flowers.	Step 2 has ____ flowers.	Step 3 has ____ flowers.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #350 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ flowers.	Step _____ has _____ flowers.


Step _____ has _____ flowers.	Step _____ has _____ flowers.

6 of 22


Step 1 has _____ pig.	Step 2 has _____ pigs.	Step 3 has _____ pigs.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #453 from Jenna, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ pigs.	Step _____ has _____ pigs.


Step _____ has _____ pigs.	Step _____ has _____ pigs.

7 of 22


Step 1 has ____ blocks.	Step 2 has ____ blocks.	Step 3 has ____ blocks.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #156 from Sergi del Moral, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ blocks.	Step _____ has _____ blocks.


Step _____ has _____ blocks.	Step _____ has _____ blocks.

8 of 22


Step 1 has ____ circles.	Step 2 has ____ circles.	Step 3 has ____ circles.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #374 from Nick Vu, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ circles.	Step _____ has _____ circles.


Step _____ has _____ circles.	Step _____ has _____ circles.

9 of 22


Step 1 has ____ box.	Step 2 has ____ boxes.	Step 3 has ____ boxes.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #382 from Juha Cho, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ boxes.	Step _____ has _____ boxes.


Step _____ has _____ boxes.	Step _____ has _____ boxes.

10 of 22


Step 1 has ____ squares.	Step 2 has ____ squares.	Step 3 has ____ squares.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #165 from Katie Gates, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.


Step _____ has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.

11 of 22


Step 1 has ____ squares.	Step 2 has ____ squares.	Step 3 has ____ squares.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #4 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.


Step _____ has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.

12 of 22


Step 1 has ____ squares.	Step 2 has ____ squares.	Step 3 has ____ squares.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #101 from Kate Nowak, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.


Step _____ has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.

13 of 22


Step 1 has ____ flowers.	Step 2 has ____ flowers.	Step 3 has ____ flowers.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #168 from Katie Gates, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ flowers.	Step _____ has _____ flowers.


Step _____ has _____ flowers.	Step _____ has _____ flowers.

14 of 22


Step 1 has ____ square units.	Step 2 has ____ square units.	Step 3 has ____ square units.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #225 from Mike Jacobs, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ square units.	Step _____ has _____ square units.


Step _____ has _____ square units.	Step _____ has _____ square units.

15 of 22


Step 1 has ____ circles.	Step 2 has ____ circles.	Step 3 has ____ circles.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #307 from Caden Glover, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ circles.	Step _____ has _____ circles.


Step _____ has _____ circles.	Step _____ has _____ circles.

16 of 22


Step 1 has ____ cylinders.	Step 2 has ____ cylinders.	Step 3 has ____ cylinders.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #309 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ cylinders.	Step _____ has _____ cylinders.


Step _____ has _____ cylinders.	Step _____ has _____ cylinders.

17 of 22


Step 1 has ____ cylinders.	Step 2 has ____ cylinders.	Step 3 has ____ cylinders.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #328 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ cylinders.	Step _____ has _____ cylinders.


Step _____ has _____ cylinders.	Step _____ has _____ cylinders.

18 of 22


Step 1 has ____ flowers.	Step 2 has ____ flowers.	Step 3 has ____ flowers.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #347 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ flowers.	Step _____ has _____ flowers.


Step _____ has _____ flowers.	Step _____ has _____ flowers.

19 of 22


Step 1 has ____ oranges.	Step 2 has ____ oranges.	Step 3 has ____ oranges.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #354 from visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ oranges.	Step _____ has _____ oranges.


Step _____ has _____ oranges.	Step _____ has _____ oranges.

20 of 22


Step 1 has ____ rectangles.	Step 2 has ____ rectangles.	Step 3 has ____ rectangles.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #31 from John Golden, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ rectangles.	Step _____ has _____ rectangles.


Step _____ has _____ rectangles.	Step _____ has _____ rectangles.

21 of 22


Step 1 has ____ glass.	Step 2 has ____ glasses.	Step 3 has ____ glasses.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #424 from Mr. Amrine’s students, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ glasses.	Step _____ has _____ glasses.


Step _____ has _____ glasses.	Step _____ has _____ glasses.

22 of 22


Step 1 has ____ squares.	Step 2 has ____ squares.	Step 3 has ____ squares.

Name : ______________________________________ Date: _______________________

VP #19 from Chris Hunter, at visualpatterns.org


Step 4 has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.


Step _____ has _____ squares.	Step _____ has _____ squares.