Learning about the World Of Color, Object
and Shape Patterns

Designed by: Emily Herbig      School:Meadowfield Elementary

Grade Level: First             Subject: Math

Lesson/Unit Title: 
Learning about the World of Color, Object, and Shape Patterns

Core Curriculum Objective(s) 
Identify, describe, extend, and create a wide variety of patterns in a sequence of objects, numbers, shapes, colors, and calculators to make predictions (1PF1-2); South Carolina Standard III.A.1.)

Overview:
The teacher will use unifix cubes, dye-cut designs of different objects, and transparency pattern block shapes to introduce the concepts of identifying, describing, extending, and creating color, object, and shape patterns. The students will work in whole group, small group, and individual settings using such materials as unifix cubes, pattern blocks, pictures of shapes, and stickers or ink stampers, in order to practice and reflect their understanding of identifying, describing, extending and creating color, object, and shape patterns. The four-day lesson allows for a variety of assessments, including several product assessments, with a final assessment incorporating all three types of patterns. The teacher and the students will also interact with the computer and the Internet during whole group instruction and individual assessment. This lesson also allows for student work to be displayed on the school's website.

Focus/Essential Question(s): 

How do you know what name to give to a group of objects, shapes, or colors that repeat in a certain order? 

What can you tell me to let me know that a group of objects, shapes, or colors repeats in a certain order? 

Which object, shape, or color should come next given groups of objects, shapes, or colors that repeat in a certain order? 

How do you use objects, shapes, and/or colors to make or build your own groups of objects, shapes, or colors that repeat in a certain order?

Time Frame: 

Four 1 hour periods

Resources/Materials:

Period 1

For the teacher:

6 yellow unifix cubes 

10 green unifix cubes 

10 red unifix cubes 

6 blue unifix cubes 

6 black unifix cubes 

10 white unifix cubes 

10 brown unifix cubes 

10 light blue unifix cubes 

10 orange unifix cubes

10 rectangular strips (1 inch-2 inches X 11 inches strip) of red construction paper

10 rectangular strips of yellow construction paper (same size)

1 bottle of glue

For each group:

10 of three different colored unifix cubes (ex: 10 red, 10 yellow, and 10 blue unifix cubes) placed in a bag

1 piece of white or manila colored construction paper

1 pencil

For each student:

10 rectangular strips (1 inch-2inches X 11 inches strip) of red construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of yellow construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of blue construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of orange construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of black construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of green construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of pink construction paper 

10 rectangular strips of purple construction paper

Each set of strips should be placed in a bag or container of some kind for each student.

1 bottle of glue

Period 2

For the teacher:

Teacher created red/yellow construction paper color pattern chain used in Period 1

10 heart dye-cut (Ellison machine) designs already laminated with magnetic strip on the back

10 frog dye-cut designs

10 sailboat dye-cut designs

10 balloon dye-cut designs

10 smiling face dye-cut designs

10 school bus dye-cut designs

10 clover dye-cut designs

10 of any other dye-cut design you would like

**** Make sure that all of the above dye-cut designs are in the same color for a lesson on introduction to object patterns.

Computer

Television

AverKey

Destination Computer (optional)

For each student:

10 pieces of white or manila colored construction paper

2-3 copies of the activity page printed from the website

1 copy of the extra challenges page printed from the website

1 pair of scissors

1 bottle of glue

1 pencil

1 pack of crayons

Stickers in a Ziploc bag (make sure each child gets 4-5 of the same sticker - ex: 5 cats and that the child gets 3-4 different types of stickers - ex: each child has 4 cat, 4 dog, 4 heart, 4 bunny stickers)

OR

For each group, 2-3 ink stampers, each stamper having a different object on it and one ink stamp pad

OR

For each group, 2-3 sponge stampers, a container of paint, and Newspapers

Period 3

For the teacher:

Teacher created red/yellow color pattern chain from Period 1

1 child's creation of object pattern from Period 2

Overhead projector

Transparency pattern block shapes

Shape cards- the teacher should draw or cut out 8 circles, 8 squares, 8 triangles, and paste each shape on a square piece of poster board or piece of construction paper, laminate the shape, and attach a piece of yarn to the shape in order to create a shape card for a student to wear.

For each student:

4 sheets of white/manila colored construction paper

1 bottle of glue

1 pack of crayons

15 circle patterns already cut out 15 square patterns already cut out 15 triangle patterns already cut out 15 rectangle patterns already cut out 15 diamond patterns already cut out

**** Alternative, the teacher could look for these above shapes on a blackline master, reproduce the blacklines for the students, and have the children cut out the shapes.

For each group, 6 of each type of pattern block OR 6 of each CSMP shape, OR 6 of each Anytime Math Attri-Link shape

Period 4

For the teacher:

6 yellow unifix cubes 

10 green unifix cubes 

10 red unifix cubes 

10 blue unifix cubes 

6 black unifix cubes 

10 white unifix cubes 

10 brown unifix cubes 

10 light blue unifix cubes 

10 orange unifix cubes

Yellow/Green unifix cube tower teacher created in Period 1

Teacher dye-cut patterns used in Period 2

CSMP A-block shapes with magnetic strips or transparency pattern block shapes

Overhead projector

For each student:

1 pack of crayons

6 sheets of white or manila colored construction paper

1 pencil

Culminating Assessment: 
The students will be graded based on the following rubrics:

Assessment 1a- Rubric to assess creating and describing a color pattern

1. The student creates a color pattern = 1 point

2. The student correctly describes his/her color pattern = 1 point

TOTAL = 2 points so that

2/2 points = +

1/2 points and 0/2 points = a dot

Assessment 1b- Rubric to assess extending a color pattern

The student correctly indicates what color comes next in the pattern = +

The student incorrectly indicates which color comes next in the pattern = a dot

Assessment 2- Rubric to assess creating, describing, and extending an object pattern

1. The student creates an object pattern = 1 point

2. The student correctly describes his/her object pattern = 1 point

3. The student correctly indicates which object comes next in another child's object pattern (extending the pattern) = 1point

TOTAL = 3 points so that

3/3 points = +

2/3 points and 1/3 points = a dot

Assessment 3- Rubric to assess creating, describing, and extending shape patterns

1. The student creates 2 shape patterns = 2 points

2. The student correctly describes one of his/her shape patterns = 1 Point

3. The student correctly indicates which shape comes next in another child's shape pattern = 1 point

TOTAL = 4 points so that

4/4 points = +

3/4 points = a check

2/4 points and below = a dot

Assessment 4- Rubric to assess identifying and creating color, object, and shape patterns

1. The student creates a color pattern = 1 point 

2. The student correctly identifies his/her color pattern as a color pattern = 1 point 

3. The student creates an object pattern = 1 point 

4. The student correctly identifies his/her object pattern as an object pattern = 1 point 

5. The student creates a shape pattern = 1 point 

6. The student correctly identifies his/her shape pattern as a shape pattern = 1 point 

TOTAL = 6 points so that

6/6 points = +

5/6 points = a check

4/6 points and below = a dot

Instructional Activities:

Period 1

1. The teacher will begin the class by telling the class that they will be learning something new in math and that he/she will begin the lesson by showing the children something. The teacher will tell the students to watch very closely to see if they can figure out what he/she is doing or making.

2. The teacher will begin by showing the students a yellow unifix cube, and then he/she will add a green unifix cube on top, then a yellow unifix cube, then a green unifix cube, etc... in order to create a yellow, green, yellow, green color pattern.

3. The teacher will stop and ask the children if they know what the teacher is doing. The teacher will continue the exercise in order to elicit the response that he/she is alternating between the colors yellow and green.

4. Then, the teacher will tell the children that what he/she was doing was creating or building something called a color pattern and that a pattern is something that happens over and over again in the same order. This is a color pattern because the colors yellow and green keep "showing up" over and over again in the same order.

5. The teacher will tell the children that in the next few days they will be learning about color, object, and shape patterns and that they will be able to give patterns a certain name, explain why a particular type of pattern is a pattern, decide what will come next in a certain pattern, and how to make their own patterns.

6. The teacher will tell the students that today, they will be learning about color patterns.

7. The teacher will continue with color patterns by building a red, blue, red, blue pattern with unifix cubes. He/she will model how to describe the color pattern by telling the children that this is a color pattern because you see the colors red and blue "showing up" over and over again in the order of red and then blue.

8. In order to introduce how to extend the pattern, the teacher will ask the children to look at the color pattern and decide what color should come next- red or blue. When a child gives the correct response, he/she should come up to the front of the class and attach the correct unifix cube to the teacher's unifix cube tower of red and blue cubes.

9. Then, the teacher will give the children a more challenging pattern problem by building a three color pattern (ex: red, green, black, red, green, black, red, green, black, etc...).

10. The teacher will call on a student to describe or to tell him/her about the pattern. Then, the teacher will ask what color should come next in the pattern. The child who gives the correct response should attach this color cube to the teacher's unifix cube tower.

11. The teacher will create several other color patterns using the unifix cubes until several children have had an opportunity to describe a color pattern and to decide which color unifix cube should come next in the created color patterns.

12. Then, the teacher will tell the children that they will have a chance to create or build their own color patterns using unifix cubes.

13. The teacher will divide the class into groups of two. Each group will work together to create or build color patterns using unifix cubes. Each group will get one bag of colored unifix cubes (Make sure that each bag contains at least three different colored unfix cubes for those students who want to build more complicated color patterns). Children will be instructed to not only build a color pattern but also to be prepared to describe or tell about their color pattern to the class. Also, the teacher should remind the children not to take apart their color pattern since they will be presenting their creation to the class.

14. When a group finishes building one color pattern, the children should raise their hands to indicate that they have finished their pattern. If a group finishes building a color pattern before the other groups, then the group should be challenged to build another color pattern using three colors or to use two colors to build a more complicated pattern (ex: blue, blue, red, red, blue, blue, red, red, etc...). Also, the group should be encouraged to work together to write their description of their pattern on paper (ex: My pattern is a color pattern because....).

15. As the students work in their groups, the teacher will circulate to provide any needed assistance or enrichment.

16. After all groups have completed at least one color pattern, then the teacher will call on the children to clear away all their materials except their created patterns.

17. Before the teacher calls on groups to present and describe their color patterns to the class, the teacher will challenge the students to look and listen closely to each presentation to see if they can discover the mystery of which color or which two colors should be added to the end of a group's color pattern.

18. Then, the teacher will call on each group to present its pattern.

19. As each group shares, the teacher should ensure that students have correctly created a color pattern and that they are providing a correct description of their pattern.

20. After each group shares, the teacher will call on other students to determine which color, which two colors, which three colors, etc... should come next in the color pattern.

21. After this exercise, the teacher will tell the children that he/she will show them how to make their own color pattern chains to hang in the room to display their learning.

22. The teacher will take a pre-cut rectangular strip of red construction paper and will show the children how to make the strip into a circle by gluing the two ends together.

23. Then, the teacher will take a pre-cut rectangular strip of yellow construction paper and will run this strip through the red circle and then glue the two ends of the yellow strip together to form a yellow circle around the red circle.

24. The teacher will get another strip of red paper, run it through the yellow circle, and glue the two ends of the red strip together, etc... until the teacher has a small pattern chain of red, yellow, red, yellow, etc...

25. Then, the teacher will ask the students what color, what two colors, etc... should come next in the color pattern. As children provide the correct responses, the teacher will let them come up and add the appropriate link to the color pattern chain.

26. After this exercise, the teacher will inform the students that they will be building or creating their own color pattern for a grade. The teacher will explain to the children that after they build their color pattern, they will present their pattern to the class by telling about or describing their pattern. Also, as the children present their patterns, the teacher will call on other students to determine which color should come next in the presented pattern. The teacher will explain rubric number one (a and b) at this time.

27. Then, the teacher will provide each student with several different colored pieces of pre-cut rectangular strips of construction paper and glue so that they can create their own color pattern chains.

28. If a child finishes early, he/she can design more complicated color patterns (ex: a color pattern with four or more colors).

29. After all children have finished their pattern chains, the teacher will call on children to present their chains.

30. As each child presents his/her chain, the teacher will call on another child to tell what color should come next in the pattern.

31. After all the presentations, the teacher will close the lesson by asking the children to provide the meaning of a color pattern.

32. Then, the teacher will tell the children that the next day they will continue learning about patterns by studying object patterns.

**** The teacher should have all displays from the wall, outside of the classroom, or in the library, on the school's website by taking pictures of the patterns and scanning them into the computer (ask your school's information technology specialist or website expert for help).

Period 2

1. The teacher will review patterns by asking the students what they learned the day before about patterns and color patterns.

2. The teacher will show the children his/her color pattern chain from the day before as a visual reminder.

3. Then, the teacher will tell the children that they will be learning what an object pattern is, how to describe or tell about an object pattern, how to determine which object will come next in a pattern, and how to create or make their own object pattern.

4. The teacher will use two different dye-cut designs and place them on the magnetic board to create a pattern (ex: heart, frog, heart, frog, heart, frog, etc...Make sure that both objects are the same color when introducing object patterns so that the children do not become confused with the previous day's activities on color patterns).

5. Indicate to the children that this string of objects is called an object pattern. Ask the children to use their knowledge of what a pattern is to see if they can explain why the string of objects is a pattern.

6. The teacher should ensure that the children know that it is a pattern because the heart and frog "show up" over and over again in the same order of the heart first and the frog second.

7. The teacher should give the children a great deal of practice with building their own object patterns by allowing the children to come up to the board and use the dye cut designs to create object patterns. As the students build an object pattern, they should describe the object pattern they are making.

8. After a student describes his/her pattern to the class, he/she should call on a student to determine which object should come next in the pattern and then that student can place the object on the board at the end of the pattern.

9. The teacher should let several students come up to the board to create their own patterns using the dye-cut patterns and to describe their created patterns. If students seem to understand the simple patterns (ex: heart, frog, heart, frog), challenge students to create more complicated patterns (heart, heart, frog, heart, heart, frog, heart, heart, frog, etc...).

10. After this activity, the teacher will tell the students that they will have more practice creating and determining what comes next in an object pattern by working in a group on a special project and activity.

11. The teacher should divide the class into groups of two. Each child in a group will get a set of materials to use to create object patterns (the teacher could use one of the following types of materials: stickers, making sure that each child gets a variety of objects in the sticker collection; 2-3 stampers, each with a different object on it and one stamp pad for each group; OR 2-3 sponge stampers and a container of paint for each group- make sure you use newspapers to prevent any mess on desks). Regardless of the type of the above materials you use, each child should have several sheets of white or manila colored construction paper on which to create his/her object pattern.

12. If a child finishes before his/her partner, he/she can write a sentence or two describing his/her object pattern. Then, he/she can use the materials to create more complicated patterns using 3 or more different objects.

13. Once both children complete their patterns, they should trade papers with each other, and each child should use the materials to extend his/her partner's object pattern by placing the next 5-10 objects on his/her partner's paper.

14. Then, allow several children to share their patterns with the class by describing their patterns and then calling on other children to predict what object should come next in the student's pattern.

15. After this activity, the teacher will use a destination computer or averkey and go to http://www.scholasticnetwork.com/max/tooth/index.htm . The teacher will share the poem "The Tooth" with the children 2 -3 times for enjoyment.

16. The teacher will give each child a copy of the candy page (activity page printed from the site). The children will color the candies on the page, cut them out, create their own patterns, and glue the patterns on a sheet of construction paper- the children cannot use Ruthie's pattern in the poem). You may want to make extra copies for each child for those children who finish early and want to use the candies to create more complicated object patterns.

17. If a child finishes creating even more complicated object patterns, then he/she can either work on his/her own or with one other student to complete the extra challenges page (printed off from this site). Make sure each child has extra paper to complete this section.

18. If a child finishes all of these assignments, he/she can make an object pattern using 4 or more different objects around the room and drawing/coloring a picture of the object pattern. The student can also write a description to go with his/her drawing.

19. Before the children begin the initial activity of using the candies to create their own pattern, the teacher will tell the children that he/she will call the children to the computer individually to send their candy patterns to Max and Ruthie on the Internet and that the teacher will use their patterns as a grade. The teacher will explain assessment rubric number two at this time.

20. As the children engage in the above activities, the teacher will call each child to the computer individually to send his/her pattern to Max and Ruthie. While the teacher is working with the child at the computer, the teacher will ask the student to describe his/her pattern and tell the teacher which object should come next at the end of the pattern.

21. After each child has entered his/her pattern into the computer, the teacher will review object patterns by asking a child to explain object patterns.

22. The teacher will tell the students that on the next day, they will learn more about patterns by studying shape patterns.

Period 3

1. The teacher will review patterns by asking children to describe what they have learned about color and object patterns. The teacher can again hold up the period one color pattern chain and also hold up a child's creation of an object pattern from period two as examples.

2. Then, the teacher will introduce shape patterns by using an overhead projector and transparency pattern block shapes (see your CRT).

3. The teacher will show the children a simple shape pattern on the overhead projector using the transparency shapes (ex: triangle, square, triangle, square, etc...). The teacher will tell the students that they are looking at a shape pattern.

4. The teacher will ask students to use their new knowledge to describe the pattern. The teacher should ensure that the children know that it is a shape pattern because the triangle and the square keep "showing up" in the same order of triangle first and square second.

5. Also, the teacher will ask the students what the next shape is, the next two shapes, etc... in the pattern.

6. The teacher should continue to create a variety of patterns on the overhead, including more challenging patterns (ex: triangle, triangle, square, triangle, triangle, square, etc...), ask the children to describe the patterns, and ask the children which shape comes next in the pattern.

7. After this introduction to shape patterns, the teacher will tell the students that they will continue to learn about shape patterns by playing a people shape pattern game. The teacher will call 5-6 students to come to the front of the room. The teacher will give each student a shape card attached to a piece of yarn so that the child can put the shape card around his/her neck. The shape card should face outward so that another student could see it. The teacher will line the students up so that when they turn around the other students sitting down will see a shape pattern (use circle, square, circle, square, etc... and circle, square, triangle, circle, square, triangle for a more challenging shape pattern or make up your own). The teacher will instruct these children to remain with their backs to the class until they are ready to begin the shape pattern game.

8. Then, the teacher will tell the remaining students sitting down that their job is to describe the shape and to determine which shape should come next in the pattern.

9. The teacher will tell the first child to turn around and remain standing in place as he/she reveals his/her shape. The teacher will instruct the next student to turn around and the third student to turn around.

10. After the third student has turned around, the teacher will ask if any student thinks he/she knows what the shape pattern is and what shape should come next. After a prediction is made, the teacher will let the fourth student turn around to see if the prediction was correct. Continue until all 5 or 6 students have turned around to reveal the complete pattern. Then, the teacher will ask a student to describe the pattern. If the student accurately describes the pattern, he/she should be given the shape card to put around his/her neck, and the student can join the end of the human shape pattern.

11. Play this game several times using a variety of simple to more complicated patterns.

12. After this activity, the teacher will tell the children that they will work with a partner and that they will take turns creating their own shape patterns and letting their partners describe the shape pattern to them as well as using more shapes to continue or extend the pattern.

13. The teacher will divide the children into groups of two and give each group a either a set of pattern blocks, CSMP A-block shapes, or Anytime Math attri-link shapes with which each group can create their shape patterns.

14. As the students engage in this activity, the teacher will circulate around the room and help or enrich students as they create, describe, and extend shape patterns with their partners.

15. After the children have worked on this activity for ten or 15 minutes, the teacher will stop the activity, instruct the children to put up all their materials, and ask the children if they have any questions about shape patterns.

16. Then, the teacher will tell the students that they will create two different shape patterns using a set of cutout shapes. Also, the children will be told that they should be prepared to describe one of their patterns to the class and that they should be able to look at another student's shape pattern and determine which shape should come next in the pattern. At this time, the teacher will explain rubric number 3.

17. Then, the teacher will give each student 4 sheets of white or manila colored construction paper, a bottle of glue, and a set of cut out shapes. The students will create their shape patterns and then glue each pattern onto a separate sheet of paper.

18. If a child finishes this assignment early, he/she should draw/color a shape pattern using three or more shapes (make sure that the student has extra paper for this assignment).

19. Once every child has completed the assignment, the teacher will tell the children to clear their desks of all materials except for their patterns.

20. Then, each child will describe one of his/her shape patterns to the class, and the teacher will call on individual students to determine which shape should come next in the shape pattern.

21. After this activity, the teacher will call on a student to tell what he/she has learned about shape patterns. The teacher will tell the children that tomorrow they will review all of the patterns they have learned and then they will complete a final project on patterns for a grade.

Period 4

1. The teacher will review all three patterns: color, object, and shape. The teacher will show the children a unifix cube tower of yellow cube, green cube, yellow cube, green cube, etc... and ask the children to identify whether it is a color, object, or shape pattern.

2. Then, the teacher will use the heart and frog dye-cut designs from period 2 to create a heart, frog, heart, frog, etc... pattern and ask the children to identify whether it is a color, object, or shape pattern.

3. Then, the teacher will use either magnetic shapes on the board or the overhead projector and transparency shapes to build a shape pattern (circle, square, triangle, circle, square, triangle, etc...) and ask the students if the pattern is a color, object or shape pattern.

4. Then, the teacher will call on students to use the unifix cubes, magnetic shapes, or dye-cut designs to create a pattern for the class and to have the class guess what will come next in the presented pattern and to identify the type of pattern as a color, object, or shape pattern.

5. After several children have an opportunity to create patterns for the class, the teacher will end the activity and tell the children that they will have one final project to complete on patterns. The children will create and draw/color three types of patterns: a color, object, and shape pattern. The child will create one pattern on each sheet of paper. After a child completes a pattern, he/she must identify the pattern as a color, object, or shape pattern. The teacher can provide the following sentence for the children to write at the bottom of their papers: "My pattern is a __________ pattern." Write the following choices on the board color, object, or shape. Make sure that the children understand that they should choose only one of these words to match each of their designed patterns. If it's an object pattern, they should write the sentence on that piece of paper with the word "object" filled in the blank. At this time, the teacher will explain rubric number four.

6. Also, inform the students that this work will be scanned into the school's website and displayed in the classroom or the hallway.

7. As a final review, the teacher will have some students volunteer to share their works with the class.