Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Carla Tirotta
Unit Overview
Unit title:
Algebraic Patterns
Content maths area:
Algebra
Grade/year level:
Six
Learning Focus (ideas extrapolated from AusVELS):
Number and Algebra
Pattern and Algebra
Understanding and Problem Solving
Rationale:
It is important for algebraic concepts such as, generalising patterns, to be introduced to
students at a primary level (Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Kolovou & Robitzsch,
2013). This will allow for students to develop more complex thinking
processes, which will be beneficial across all domains of the curriculum
throughout their education (Windsor, 2010).
Assumed prior knowledge of students:
Students have already had experiences working with repeating and growing patterns
from previous years in their schooling and have a basic knowledge of both types of
patterns. Student also have had experience with continuing on with sequencing patterns
(Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2012).
Overview of assessment:
The types of assessment being used throughout this unit will consist of, observations,
anecdotal notes and self-assessments. These particular assessments will be used to
allow the teacher to become aware of the students understanding of the topic, and what
misconceptions they might have. The formative assessments being used, such as selfassessment, will help students take control of their learning and keep track of the new
discoveries they are making throughout the unit. The summative assessments being
used, such as anecdotal notes, will allow for teachers to identify the areas of content
that needs to be covered in more detail. In addition to making observations and taking
anecdotal notes, work samples will be collected as evidence of understanding.
References:
Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., Kolovou, A., & Robitzsch, A. (2013). Primary school
students strategies in early algebra problem solving supported by an online
game. Educational Studies In Mathematics, 84(3), 281-307.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10649-013-9483-5
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2012). Mathematics scope and
sequence (F-10) [Curriculum document]. Retrieved from
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level6?layout=1&d=M
Windsor, W. (2011). How problem solving can develop and algebraic perspective of
mathematics.Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 16(4), 8-12.
Level descriptions:
Continue and create sequences involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Describe the rule used to create the
sequence (ACMNA133)
Proficiency strand(s):
Understanding:
Recognise that there are different types of patterns
Identify repeating and growing patterns
Understand how to describe and generalise patterns
Week: 5
Term: 2
Link to applet:
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_184_g_1
_t_2.html?from=topic_t_2.htm
Paper/ stationary
Coloured counters
Learning
strategies/ skills
Analysing
Checking
Classifying
Co-operating
Considering options
Designing
Elaborating
MATHEMATICAL
FOCUS
Estimating
Explaining
Generalising
Hypothesising
Inferring
Interpreting
Justifying
TUNING IN
(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)
pattern?
Does each way of seeing have the same
result for the next object in the pattern?
How is the pattern growing?
What generalisations can you make about this
pattern?
Is there a number sentence you could make
to describe the pattern?
Listening
Locating information
Making choices
Note taking
Observing
Ordering events
Organising
INVESTIGATIONS
SESSION
(INDEPENDENT LEARNING)
Performing
Persuading
Planning
Predicting
Presenting
Providing feedback
Questioning
Reading
Recognising bias
Reflecting
Reporting
Responding
Restating
Revising
Seeing patterns
Selecting information
Self-assessing
Sharing ideas
Summarising
Synthesising
ADAPTATIONS
Testing
Viewing
Visually representing
Working independently
Working to a timetable
ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES
Session 1
Introduction to
patterns
Basic
understanding
that there a
different types
of patterns that
have different
rules
Probing questions:
What do you notice about
this pattern?
How are the numbers
increasing?
How do you know what
number will come next?
Discussion of identified
rules.
Enabling prompt:
For students who are
struggling, there can be a
table that is allocated for
students to work together
guided by the teacher.
Use of simpler number
patters can be
implemented
Extending prompt:
More complex number
patterns can be included
with larger numbers
Student can begin to work
with fraction number
patterns
What do you notice about
the pattern?
How could you describe
the changes being made to
the pattern?
What is the relationship
between each number?
Session 2
Basic
understanding
of the
characteristics
of growing and
repeating
patterns
Session 3
Further
understanding
of growing
patterns
Basic
understanding
of how to
generalise
patterns
Put up image of
Cassowary for class to look
at. (See Appendix 4). In
pairs, students can begin
to analyse the pattern and
draw what the cassowary
image would look like at
age six.
Probing questions:
Would it help to section the
cassowary into different
body parts?
What parts of the
cassowary do not change?
What parts of the
cassowary do grow?
Enabling prompt:
For students who are
struggling to visualise the
problem, they can use
material object such as
counters. Using one colour
for the house and one
colour for the trees so they
can physically count how
many trees there would be
Extending prompt:
Students could work out
how many trees there
could be for a larger
amount of houses.
How many trees would
there be for 50 houses?
Is there another way of
working this out without
drawing the houses?
Enabling prompt:
Have students draw what
the cassowary would look
like at age four
Have the cassowary
highlighted into different
sections so students are
able to visualise changes
being made to specific
areas
What parts of the
cassowary do not change/
remain constant?
Extending prompt:
What would the cassowary
look like at age 10?
How do you know this?
What generalisations can
be made about the
pattern?
Anecdotal notes of
students ability to
analyse the pattern and
make generalisations of
how it grows. Observe
and assess the accuracy
of their drawings for what
the cassowary will look
like at age 6. Take note of
responses to probing
questions to grasp an
understanding of the
students way of thinking,
Session 4
Further
understanding
of growing
patterns
Learning to
see patterns in
different ways
Making
generalisations
about patterns
Probing questions:
What remains constant?
What variables can you
see?
How are the shapes
growing?
Enabling prompt:
Provide student with a
pattern, which they can
make slight changes to, to
use as their own pattern.
Extending prompt:
Have students find what
the 100th pattern would
look like
Is there are formula that
could be made to help you
find the answer?
Probing questions:
Could we break the pattern
up into sections to describe
our way of seeing?
What letters could we use
to represent each section?
Enabling prompt:
Provide students with one
way of seeing as an
example and then get them
to find one more way of
seeing.
Instead of finding the
seventh image in the
pattern, ask students to
find the fourth
Extending prompt:
Could there be a third way
of seeing?
What would the 17th image
look like?
Can you describe this
using the rule, without
drawing the shape?
Anecdotal notes of
students ability to come
up with at least two
different ways of seeing.
Assessing the accuracy
of the generalisations
made about how the
pattern grows. Observing
student contribution to
class discussion when
creating a rule for the
pattern, assessing
students understanding
of how to make rules.
Probing questions:
What stays the same in
each image?
What changes are made in
each pattern?
How does the pattern
grow?
Session 5
Understan
ding how
to make
rules and
generalise
growing
patterns
like.
Probing questions:
What generalisations can
be made about the
pattern?
What is constant?
What changes can you
see?
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
(Sourced from Ann Downtons Week Seven Lecture in EDMA360 Mathematics Learning and Teaching 2)
Appendix 3
Appendix 4 (Sourced from Jill Browns Week 7 Whole Class Task, Exploring Mathematics 2 EDMA369).
Appendix 5 (Sourced from Jill Browns Week 7 Whole Class Task, Exploring Mathematics 2 EDMA369).
Appendix 6 (Sourced from Exploring Mathematics 2 EDMA369, Semester 1, 2015 Problem Book).
Appendix 7
Appendix 8