My fourth grade students have been hard at work analyzing images, predicting patterns and then finding algebraic equations to predict future figures in the patterns. They have collaborated well, showed their thinking mathematically, and now I am pushing them to express their ideas in ordered pairs on a coordinate plane.
Students first created a pattern with ordered pairs. Then I asked them to build the pattern with cubes and blocks and manipulatives in the classroom. It was fascinating to watch my students think through the process and have to logically and visually represent the growth of the cubes. Some students found creating the patterns difficult, while others wrestled with how to show the pattern visually.
It was so interesting watching my students take their learning to the next level. Here are some images of the patterns they created.
