Unit 1: Patterns

Cover Letter
Unit question: how do we identify patterns in the world, how are they
represented, and why are they important?

In this unit we learned how to identify and represent patterns in the real
world and why patterns are important. We can identify patterns in a lot of ways.
We can look for repetition and similarities in a table or graph. We worked on many
examples in class of taking information from a table and forming an equation. An
example of this was the Pick your Spice assignment. The equation I found was
m(x)=2x+1. When asked to evaluate the function for x=4 the equation becomes
m(x)=2(4)+1. This equation becomes 8+1 which is 9 so x = 9. We then found the
input for the output 7 using the equation m(x)=2x+1. 7= 2x +1 we then subtract 1
from each side of the equal sign. 6=2x. I then divide 6 by 2 and 2x by 2 so x=3.

x m(x)

1 3

0 1

10 21

-2 -3

4 9

3 7

-1 -1

We can also use the “guess and check” method. An example of using the “guess and
check” strategy was the broken eggs POW. For the problem I started by seeing what
numbers I could eliminate to make the problem more manageable. Even numbers
wouldn't work because they would be divisible by 2. Numbers ending in 5 and 0
were out because they would be evenly divisible by 5. I then tried 77 but that didn't
work because when subtracted over and over I ended up with 3 not 1. I continue to
try numbers and subtract them down by 2,3,4,5,6,and7. Eventually, after some peer
collaboration, we came to the conclusion that the farmer had 301 eggs that got
broken.
Patterns can be represented by equations, graphs, and tables. In and out
tables are a common way that you can look for patterns, the table organizes the
information and makes it more clear and easy to understand. Graphs help show if
your pattern and equation are linear.
Along with learning about patterns we also learned why patterns are
important. In my opinion, patterns are important because they help us make sense
of the world around us. There are so many patterns that we see around us every day
like how all flowers have odd numbers of petals or how pine cones grow in a spiral
pattern. Patterns make the world seem simpler since most things in the world
follow patterns.

Extension question:
Is there a correlation between how many hours any given person spends on their
phone and how many hours they study? Does spending time on your phone before
studying affect things like your concentration? If someone spends as many as 6
hours on their phone would they be able to study as effectively as the person who
only spent 3 hours on their phone?

Unit Reflection:
September 22:
❖ What was the question/your error, and why/how did you make it? (Or if you skipped
this question, why? What specifically was getting in your way? What did you need to
learn about to solve this problem/what practice could you have gotten before the
test, etc.?)

➢ I got question 2 wrong. The question said: What function rule could represent
the following in and out table? *

The table had a 0, -3 and 2, 7

The answer I chose would not work with both in and out pairs. I chose the
equation f(x)= -3x. The correct equation is f(x)= 5x-3. This equation works
because 0*5=0 and 0-3= -3. It also works for the other set of numbers in the
equation. 2*5=10 and 10 - 3 is 7.

❖ What did you learn from making this error and reading about the correct solution in
the feedback?
 ➢ I should more carefully evaluate all of my options because I picked an
answer because I thought it made the most sense for the 0,-3 and I didn’t
check that it fully worked with the other operation pair.

❖ What would you do differently next time? (This could relate to

preparing/studying/doing classwork/homework or solving this kind of problem.) You
might try to make up a similar problem and solve it correctly here!

➢ Slow down and look at the questions more carefully

September 23:
❖ Since the start of the school year, how have you grown as a mathematician?
(problem solver, collaborator, etc.)
➢ I learned to look at problems differently and try to identify patterns

❖ When it comes to putting full effort into this class, what gets in the way for you?
➢ Went really don't understand something sometimes I will shut down and that
is not always the best response because then it makes learning the skill a lot
harder than it has to be

❖ What is a topic in math you want to learn more about? (This could be something in
this unit you’re confused about - think about the quiz you just took! or a topic
beyond this unit.)
➢ I just want to have a general understanding of math cause I feel like there
are a lot of gaps since I haven't had a good math teacher since the 4th grade

Evidence:
Tests and quizzes:
● Unit Test
● Mid unit quiz

Assignments:
● negative numbers/order of operations
● In-Out Tables
● Real-world problem

Problem Of the Week:

● Page 1
 ● Page 2
● Page 3

Final Unit Reflection:

I've never really been great with the in and out tables and finding patterns in
a sequence of numbers. All things considered, I think I did alright in this unit. I
learned that I am a visual problem solver. This really helped when I was working
on the Checkerboard Pow. I feel like I did ok with the negative numbers
assignments that we did in this unit. I definitely got a bit confused with the
negative exponents but I think I'll get it with a bit more practice in the future. I
think that the content in the unit and the order that it was presented made it easy
to learn the content. Since so many things in our world follow patterns, having the
tools to identify them will help us understand the world in a different way. The
assignments we did about the patterns in nature and the Fibonacci numbers were
really cool. I didn't know that there was a spiral pattern that pine cones grow in or
that every flower has an odd number of petals. Overall I think this was a really
good first unit.