Lesson 2
More or Fewer Pattern Blocks
Warm-up: Choral Count: Count by 10 (10 minutes)
Narrative
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).
Required Materials
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).
Supports accessibility for: Conceptual Processing, Visual-Spatial Processing
Required Materials
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
For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.
Advancing Student Thinking
- “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
Geoblocks
Grab and Count
Find the Pair
Activity Synthesis
- Arrange pattern blocks as pictured:
- “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:
Cool-down: Penguin Compare (5 minutes)
Cool-Down
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