Patterns and Relationships: The Magic Box

In this math lesson, learners participate in a variety of activities that give them experience in recognizing, describing, and extending repeating and arithmetic patterns. Learners begin by describing patterns they find in the room. Next, learners describe the arithmetic or numerical pattern they observe in a skipped rope. Learners also explore patterns as they sing, clap and identify patterns in the educator's "magic box." They are given shapes and challenged to extend the pattern started by the educator. Learners then work at centers to further investigate patterns. Center activities include photographing patterns found outside, stringing beads in patterns, making creations with Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs, exploring patterns on the computer, reading the "Patchwork Quilt" and creating quilt patterns, and making new patterns for the "Magic Box." (Note: the computer center should be skipped because it does not seem possible to buy the Patternmakers software. The loss of this center will not significantly impact the activity.)