Lesson 2

More or Fewer Pattern Blocks

Warm-up: Choral Count: Count by 10 (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this warm-up is for students to count by 10 to 100. Although students see the written sequence of numbers, they are not required to identify numbers beyond 20 until Grade 1. 

Launch

  • Display numbers from 1 to 100.
  • “Let’s count to 100.”
  • Point to the numbers as students count to 100.

Activity

  • “Now let’s count to 100 by 10.”
  • Demonstrate counting by 10 to 100, pointing to each number as you count.
  • “Let’s all count to 100 by 10.”
  • Have students repeat the count multiple times.

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • “We will keep practicing counting to 100 by 10.”

Activity 1: Quack Quack (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to compare groups of up to 10 objects. Students fill in the pattern block puzzle using 2 kinds of pattern blocks and then determine which pattern block they used fewer of. Monitor for students who:

  • Can visually see which kind of pattern block they used more of, usually when there is a significant difference, such as 5 trapezoids and 2 triangles.
  • Line up the pattern blocks and look to see which line has more.
  • Count how many of each pattern block they used and use their knowledge of the count sequence to compare the numbers (MP2).
MLR8 Discussion Supports. Create a visual display of a group of triangles and a group trapezoids of different quantities. Annotate the display to illustrate the concepts of more and fewer. Invite students to chorally repeat the names of the shapes in unison 1-2 times: triangles and trapezoids. Advances: Speaking, Representing

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Quack Quack

Required Preparation

  •  To display during the activity synthesis, create: 
    • a shape with 6 green triangle pattern blocks and 2 red trapezoid pattern blocks. 
    • a shape with 6 blue rhombus pattern blocks and 7 red trapezoid pattern blocks.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each student a copy of the blackline master and access to pattern blocks.
  • “Fill in the duck puzzle. Only use green triangles and red trapezoids. Write a number to show how many pattern blocks you used.”
  • 2 minutes: independent work time

Activity

  • “Did you use fewer red trapezoids or green triangles? How do you know?” (There are fewer green triangles. I counted 3 triangles and 4 trapezoids. 3 is less than 4.)
  • 1 minute: independent work time
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Share responses
  • “Work with your partner to fill in the dog puzzle with pattern blocks. Write a number to show how many pattern blocks you used.”
  • 2 minutes: partner work time
  • “Tell your partner about the pattern blocks you used with the words ‘more’ and ‘fewer.’”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion

Student Response

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Activity Synthesis

  • Invite students to share how they filled in the dog puzzle and their comparison sentence.
  • Display a shape created with 6 triangle pattern blocks and 2 red trapezoid pattern blocks.
  • “How would you figure out if there were more trapezoids or more triangles in this puzzle?” (We can just see. There are only 2 trapezoids and there are a lot of triangles.)
  • Display a shape created with 6 blue rhombus pattern blocks and 7 red trapezoid pattern blocks.
  • “How would you figure out if there were more rhombuses or more trapezoids in this puzzle?” (We can line them up. We can count them.)

Activity 2: Make a Y (15 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to compare groups of up to 10 objects. After students fill in the puzzle, they count and write a number to show how many pattern blocks they used. Writing a number encourages students to use the written numbers when comparing with their partner, rather than lining up the objects. Students may notice that using smaller pattern blocks, such as triangles, helps you use more shapes (MP7).

Representation: Develop Language and Symbols. Synthesis: Make connections between the number of pattern blocks used for the yellow hexagon versus the green triangles. Invite students to think about why using the green triangles produces more pattern blocks.
Supports accessibility for: Conceptual Processing, Visual-Spatial Processing

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Make a Y

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each student a copy of the blackline master and access to pattern blocks.
  • “Use the pattern blocks to fill in this puzzle. The sentence says ‘I used ___ pattern blocks.’ Write a number to show how many pattern blocks you used.”
  • 3 minutes: independent work time
  • “Share your puzzle with your partner. Who used more pattern blocks to fill in their puzzle?”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion

Activity

  • “Fill in the puzzle again on the second page and write a number to show how many pattern blocks you used. Your goal is to try to use more pattern blocks to fill in the puzzle than your partner.”
  • 3 minutes: independent work time
  • “Figure out if you or your partner used more pattern blocks to fill in the puzzle.”
  • 30 seconds: quiet think time
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share responses.

Student Response

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Advancing Student Thinking

If students fill in the puzzle the same way the second time, consider asking:
  • “What can you change about the puzzle so that you can use more pattern blocks?”
  • “If you take off this hexagon, which other pattern blocks could you put in that space?”

Activity Synthesis

  • Display a completed puzzle with a yellow hexagon in the middle.
  • “What can I change about this puzzle so that I use more shapes?” (You can use smaller pattern blocks instead of the yellow hexagon.)

Activity 3: Introduce Pattern Blocks, Place the Last Pattern Block (15 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn stage 6 of the Pattern Blocks center. Students play in partners, placing one pattern block at a time until the puzzle is complete. The student who places the last pattern block wins, which encourages students to think strategically about which pattern blocks they are placing. For example, a student may choose to place a hexagon pattern block that fills the whole space rather than a trapezoid pattern block.

After they participate in the center, students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

  • Geoblocks
  • Grab and Count
  • Find the Pair

Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

  • Pattern Blocks Stage 6 Mat

Required Preparation

  • Gather materials from: 
    • Geoblocks, Stages 1 and 2
    • Grab and Count, Stage 1
    • Find the Pair, Stages 1 and 2

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Give each group of students pattern blocks and the blackline master.
  • “We are going to learn a new way to do the Pattern Blocks center. It is called Pattern Blocks, Place the Last Pattern Block.”
  • Display the blackline master.
  • “Take turns placing one pattern block in the puzzle. The person who places the last pattern block to finish the puzzle wins.”

Activity

  • 5 minutes: center work time
  • “Now you can choose another center. You can also continue playing Pattern Blocks.”
  • Display the center choices in the student book.
  • Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
  • 7 minutes: center work time

Student Facing

Choose a center.

Pattern Blocks

Center Activity. Pattern blocks.

Geoblocks

Grab and Count

Center. Grab and Count.

Find the Pair

Center. Find the pair.

Activity Synthesis

  • Arrange pattern blocks as pictured:
pattern block puzzle
  • “It is Elena’s turn to place a pattern block. Can she win? What would she need to do?” (If she places the red trapezoid pattern block, the puzzle will be full and she will win.)

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

“Today we solved puzzles in different ways and figured out if we used more or fewer pattern blocks.”

Arrange the pattern blocks as pictured in the shapes from the second activity:

pattern block puzzle
Pattern block puzzle
“Which puzzle uses fewer pattern blocks? How do you know?” (The first one uses fewer pattern blocks. They are the same but it has 1 blue rhombus instead of 2 green triangles.)

Cool-down: Penguin Compare (5 minutes)

Cool-Down

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