​​​​​​Teaching ideas

• Getting started (Getting started sheet 8)
  This link displays the Getting started on page 137 to use as a class discussion.

• Making number patterns
  • Divide the class into three groups.
  • Tell one group they each must choose a starting number.
  • Tell the second group they each must choose a number between 1 and 5 to multiply by.
  • Tell the third group they must each choose a number to add or subtract.
  • Ask the class to then form new groups of three, with one person from each of the original groups, so that each new group has a starting number, a number to multiply by and a number to add or subtract.
  • Ask them to use the starting number and the four operations (=, -, /, x) to make the first five terms of a number pattern and write
    them down.
  • For example If the new group of three has a starting number of 4, multiplies by 2 and subtracts 1 then they will get the number pattern 4, 7, 13, 25, 49, …
  • Discuss each number pattern made and ask the rest of the class to check if each group has come up with the correct numbers.
  • NOTE if you want to avoid the possibility of negative numbers then ask the third group to choose a number to add only (remove the option of subtraction). You could also pass around a calculator.

Teacher notes

• This section leads on to finding rules for number patterns which will be covered in Level 4B.
• If your classroom doesn’t have access to computers then you could use a calculator instead.