Patterns with Unifix Cubes

Early Years (Age 3 – 6)

Curriculum Goal

Kindergarten: Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviour

Recognize, explore, describe, and compare patterns, and extend, translate, and create them, using the core of a pattern and predicting what comes next (#18).

Context

Students and teacher are sitting at carpet arranged in a circle.

Materials

Approximately 20 unifix cubes per student

Lesson

Place unifix cubes in the middle of the circle.
Instruct students to gather approximately 10 cubes of two different colours.
Introduce how to identify and build patterns based on colour by providing examples (e.g. AAB).
Inform students that this segment of the pattern is called the “building block”.
Demonstrate that when multiple “building blocks” (AAB) are combined a pattern is formed through repetition (AABAABAAB).
Once basic patterning concepts are grasped instruct students to create a unique “building block” of their own.
Once all students have had the opportunity to construct a pattern, go around the circle and ask each student to name and describe the pattern they have created.

Look Fors

Can children identify the “building block”?
How quickly and easily do children build accurate patterns?

Extension

This activity can be done using two, three, four, or more different coloured unifix cubes depending on the level of the children.

Related Lessons

Students explore patterns, focusing on building and describing the pattern core.

Students explore patterns, focusing on building and describing the pattern core.

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