Building Up! Growing Patterns in Towers
This lesson helps 2nd graders understand "growing patterns" by building towers with blocks, where each level has more blocks than the last. They'll then design their own towers with unique growing patterns, connecting math to real-world construction!
Essential Question
How can we use growing patterns to design and build strong, interesting structures like towers?
Grade(s):
- 2
Recommended Technology:
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
Whiteboard or projector
Markers or pens
Building blocks (various shapes and colors, enough for each student or small group)
Large chart paper or construction paper
Markers
Camera (optional, to take pictures of block towers)
Lesson Progression
1. Introduction (10 minutes)
What is a Pattern? Begin by discussing the concept of a pattern. Explain that a pattern is something that repeats in a predictable way.
Shape Patterns: Show examples of simple shape patterns on the board (e.g., cube, rectangular prism, cube, rectangular prism...). Have students identify the repeating part of the pattern.
Growing Patterns: Introduce the idea of a "growing pattern" where the pattern changes with each step, but in a predictable way.
Building a Tower: Start building a tower with blocks.
First level: One cube.
Second level: Two cubes.
Third level: Three cubes.
Ask: "What is changing in this pattern?" (The number of cubes increases by one each time)
2. Exploring Growing Patterns (15 minutes)
Hands-on with Blocks: Provide each student or small group with a set of building blocks.
Guided Exploration: Guide students through creating and extending growing patterns:
Example 1: Start with a cube, then add a rectangular prism on top, then add a cube and two rectangular prisms on top of that. (cube, rectangular prism, cube-cube-rectangular prism)
Example 2: Start with one red cube, then add two blue rectangular prisms on top, then add three green cubes on top of that. (red cube, blue rectangular prism-blue rectangular prism, green cube-green cube-green cube)
Describe and Extend: Have students describe how the pattern is growing and then add the next step in the pattern to their towers.
Sharing: Have students share their growing patterns with the class and explain how they are changing.
3. Real-World Connections (15 minutes)
Famous Towers: Show pictures of famous towers like the Eiffel Tower or the CN Tower. Discuss how these towers might have patterns in their design (e.g., repeating sections, getting wider or narrower as they go up).
Building Challenges: Present students with building challenges that involve growing patterns:
"Build a tower that gets taller by two blocks each level."
"Build a tower that alternates between cubes and rectangular prisms, with each level having one more block."
Drawing Towers: Have students draw their towers on paper, labeling each level and describing the pattern.
4. Create Your Own Pattern (10 minutes)
Independent Practice: Provide each student with unifix cubes and the printed performance task (linked in the resources section).
Assessment:
Observe students' participation in class discussions and group activities.
Assess students' ability to describe and extend the growing patterns during the hands-on activity.
Collect and assess students' tower drawings, checking for accuracy in representing the growing pattern.
Teacher Notes
differentiation: Provide struggling students with pre-started block towers to extend. Use simpler shapes and fewer terms in the sequence.
extension: Encourage advanced students to create more complex growing patterns with more terms, different shapes, or to incorporate other elements like color patterns into their towers.
Standards
Assessments
Use the performance task linked in the resources section to assess student learning outcomes.