Planning tool
Year levels
Strands
Expected level of development
Australian Curriculum Mathematics V9: AC9MFA01
Numeracy Progression: Number patterns and algebraic thinking: P1&2
At this level, students begin to appreciate patterns that occur around them. They learn to recognise, copy and continue different repeating patterns and observe natural patterns in the world around them.
Help students see that repeating patterns are everywhere. Examples might include days of the week, months of the year, and the seasons. Invite students to notice and describe repeating patterns that make up their daily life, such as setting the table to eat and their ‘getting ready for school’ routine.
Use physical and virtual materials to recognise, copy and continue simple patterns using shapes (for example, square, circle, square, circle), colour (green, red, green, red) and numbers (1,2 1,2 1,2). Use daily rituals such as clapping patterns where students listen and repeat it back (for example, clap, clap, pause, clap).
Explicitly teach students that repeating patterns have a core element, a ‘unit of repeat’, that repeats without change. Once students can successfully recognise, copy and continue patterns by varying a single attribute (for example, by colour, shape, size or texture), more than one attribute can be varied.
Include a focus on observing, recognising and describing repeating patterns in the artworks, jewellery, dance, music and songs from various cultures.
Teaching and learning summary:
- Explore repeating patterns through play-based experiences, stories, rhythm and song.
- Notice patterns around us and connect patterns to everyday situations.
![](/media/rvqhkdem/yr0_algebra_repeating-and-growing-patterns.png)
Students:
- recognise and copy repeating patterns using shapes, objects or pictures
- continue repeating patterns using shapes, objects or pictures
- identify the core element or ‘unit of repeat’ and how many times that element (or unit) is repeated.
Some students may:
- be unable to identify the repeating chunk in a pattern that has an incomplete third term in the pattern, for example, the pattern presented is ‘square-circle-square-circle-square’. They student may see the whole five parts as a chunk to repeat rather than identify ‘square-circle’ as the repeating unit. To address this, provide repeated opportunities to look at and circle the repeating unit. Model and scaffold how to do this.
The Learning from home activities are designed to be used flexibly by teachers, parents and carers, as well as the students themselves. They can be used in a number of ways including to consolidate and extend learning done at school or for home schooling.
Learning intention
- We are exploring repeating patterns.
Why are we learning about this?
- Patterns are everywhere in mathematics. Understanding repeating patterns will support other understandings in number.
What to do
- Explore patterns using objects. Collect items (for example, shells, twigs, leaves, buttons). Sort them according to attributes (such as colour, size, shape) and make repeating patterns (for example, leaf-twig-leaf-twig).
- Notice and discuss repeating patterns in the way we live. Examples might include the days of the week, months of the year, the seasons, or routines such as getting ready for school or setting the table.
- Explore patterns using rhythm. You might like to take turns creating clapping patterns and copying each other’s patterns.
- Notice and enjoy patterns found in stories, poetry and songs.
- Draw, create and describe different repeating patterns (for example, triangle-square-circle-triangle-square-circle). Use the patterns in a creative way, for example, to make a border on a greeting card.
- Identify and explain visual patterns on clothing, wrapping paper, buildings, crockery, cards and furniture. Create a scrapbook to refer back to for ideas during arts and crafts.
- Play games that involve recognising the patterns on dice and dominoes.
Success criteria
I can:
- copy repeating patterns using shapes, objects or pictures
- continue repeating patterns using shapes, objects or pictures
- identify and describe the ‘unit of repeat’ in a repeating pattern, for example, in the pattern ‘square-circle-square-circle-square-circle’, the unit being repeated is ‘square-circle’.
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Teaching strategies
A collection of evidence-based teaching strategies applicable to this topic. Note we have not included an exhaustive list and acknowledge that some strategies such as differentiation apply to all topics. The selected teaching strategies are suggested as particularly relevant, however you may decide to include other strategies as well.
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Collaborative learning
For group work to be effective students need to be taught explicitly how to work together in different settings, such as pairs or larger groups, and they need to practise these skills.
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Explicit teaching
Explicit teaching is about making the learning intentions and success criteria clear, with the teacher using examples and working though problems, setting relevant learning tasks and checking student understanding and providing feedback.
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Using games and storybooks
Games and storybooks are great resources to use in the classroom and are engaging for students.
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Concrete, Representational, Abstract (CRA model)
The CRA model is a three-phased approach where students move from concrete or virtual manipulatives, to making visual representations and on to using symbolic notation.
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Culturally responsive pedagogy
Mathematics is not an exclusive western construct. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge and demonstrate the mathematics to be found in all cultures.
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Multiple exposures
Providing students with multiple opportunities within different contexts to practise skills and apply concepts allows them to consolidate and deepen their understanding.
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Questioning
A culture of questioning should be encouraged and students should be comfortable to ask for clarification when they do not understand.
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Teaching resources
A range of resources to support you to build your student's understanding of these concepts, their skills and procedures. The resources incorporate a variety of teaching strategies.
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Pattern Hunt
Explore patterns through these kinaesthetic, visualisation and language-based activities.
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Repeating Patterns
Use coloured triangles to provide students the opportunity to recognise, make, describe and create repeating patterns.
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Repeating patterns with colour and shape
Sort objects according to size, colour and material; record patterns; then form and extend patterns.
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reSolve: Patterns: Attribute Trains
Use this unit to investigate patterns through a series of challenges using the attributes of colour and shape.
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Hidden Patterns
Working in pairs, students draw a hidden pattern and describe it accurately so that their partner can recreate it.
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Snakes and Scarves
Using multi-link cubes, students examine, construct and record snakes of different patterns, and predict what is hidden when part of a snake is covered.
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reSolve: Patterns in a Circle
Use the context of a party hat design to explore repeated patterns forming a circle.
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Ten in the Bed: Patterns
Use these lessons to explore patterns in number, and identify repeating patterns within texts. Students predict ‘what comes next’ based on their understanding of the pattern.
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Developing Pattern Awareness with Young Children
Refer to this easy-to-read article about developing young children's ability to recognise mathematical patterns.
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Exploring patterns 1
Use the video to learn about patterns made using shapes.
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