Intern Name: Skye Garner
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE
Lesson Title
(Subject, Grade Level, Topic,
Length of Lesson)
Standards of
Learning
Learning Targets
Necessary Prior
Knowledge
Student Materials
Teacher Materials
How Does the Pattern Grow?
Mathematics, Grade 4
Strand: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Topic: Representing, describing, and extending growing numerical and
geometric patterns
60 minutes
Standard of Learning (SOL) 4.15
The student will identify, describe, create, and extend patterns found in
objects, pictures, numbers, and tables.
-I can identify and describe patterns, using words, objects, pictures,
numbers, and tables.
-I can create patterns using objects, pictures, numbers, and tables.
-I can extend patterns, using objects, pictures, numbers, and tables.
-I can solve practical problems that involve identifying, describing, and
extending single-operation input and output rules, limited to addition,
subtraction, and multiplication of whole numbers and addition and
subtraction of fractions with like denominators of 12 or less.
-I can identify the rule in a single-operation numerical pattern found in a
list or table, limited to addition, subtraction, and multiplication of whole
numbers.
-Understand what a pattern is
-Be able to identify examples of patterns
-Know what a repeating pattern is
-Be familiar with the concept of a growing pattern (taught in 3rd grade,
clarified in 4th grade as part of SOL review)
-Know basic addition and multiplication facts
-Student handout of “Flowers For Our Teacher” worksheet
-math notebooks
-pencil
-partner to work with
Intro/Hook: VDOE "Just in Time Quick Check"
Instructional Activity- “Flowers for Our Teacher” Worksheet and follow-up
discussion: MA.4.7.1 VDOE Lesson: How Does the Pattern Grow?
Assessment: Copy of MA.4.7.1 Rich Task: Growing Patterns
 -Tens blocks to use as “tootsie rolls”
-Smart Board/Projector

-Whole-class discussion: give examples of patterns (colors, shapes, animals,

girl/boy) to get students to start thinking about the concept of “patterns”
-Explain these are “repeating patterns” and there is another type of pattern that
we will discuss today

Tootsie roll example of a growing pattern (VDOE Quick Check)

Activate Prior Ask questions to build conversation:
Knowledge 1. What is a pattern?
2. How do you see it growing?
(remind them to try to explain with mathematical vocabulary)

Rule: mathematical relationship used to find the value of each term in a

sequence

VDOE “Just in Time Quick Check”:

(mirroring the tootsie roll problem found in this VDOE lesson, but using tens
blocks to represent tootsie rolls)

Introduction/Hook

Describe the rule to determine the increasing pattern of the candies.

How many candies will be in the 5th figure of this pattern?

Flowers for Our Teacher

-Read opening prompt to students to introduce the worksheet, see if any
students need clarification
-pair students up with a table partner to complete table for the pattern, walk
around the room asking scaffolding questions:
● What pattern(s) do you notice?
● How does the pattern grow?
● What changes as you move from one bouquet/stage to the next?
Instructional ● What are some connections you see among the representations
Activities & Strategies (concrete, pictorial, numerical list, and table)?
● What is something that you see more clearly in each representation?
● What is something that is not shown as clearly by each representation?
● Are the representations an efficient way to determine how many petals
are required for a larger bouquet, such as ones with 10, 15 or even
more flowers?
-Walk around checking front pages of worksheet before letting groups move
onto the back of worksheet; stop for full-group discussion as needed to clarify
any misconceptions, have students group up with another pair to compare
answers on the worksheet/discuss why they wrote what they did
 -When groups are finishing up with the back, start full-group discussion going
over the big takeaways of the lesson:
● repeating pattern vs growing pattern
● figuring out the “algebraic rule” of a sequence:
1. Call on students to have them describe the rule in words
2. Write words on the board (explain this will work no matter the number
of flowers)
3. Ask the class if they think this pattern is repeating or growing? (try to
have them back up their answer if they can)
4. Begin writing the rule mathematically next to student’s responses in
word form, number of petals = number of flowers x 6 OR number of
petals= 6+6+6+6+..., which rule is more helpful?
5. Underline “the number of petals” and ask whether the number of
petals will stay the same or change with the number of flowers in the
bouquet. Then underline the number of flowers and ask whether the
number of flowers will stay the same or change. Once the class agrees
that the number of petals changes and the number of flowers changes,
introduce the idea of using letters instead of the phrases to represent
petals and flowers.
6. Inform students that mathematicians use letters instead of a phrase or
word when something changes. Ask: “What is a good letter for
petals?” “What is a good letter for flowers?” Students will likely say p
for petals and f for flowers, so you can write the rule p = f x 6 on the
board, and then ask whether you could write p = 6 x f. Help students
clarify that the order in which two numbers are multiplied does not
matter (the commutative property). (Students do not need to recall the
name of the property, but they do need to know that order does not
matter in multiplication.) If students give other letters, go with the
letters the students provide, but let students know that other letters
could be used as long as they state what the letters stand for. Now that
the students have a rule they can use to find the number of petals for
any number of flowers no matter how large, highlight this
generalization for students by asking, “How many petals would 41
flowers have?” “How many petals would 543 flowers have?”
7. Ask students to take a few minutes to write in their journals why a rule
is helpful when working with patterns.

-extend
-growing pattern
-input
Key Vocabulary or -output
Concepts -pattern of change
-rule
-sequence
“Rich Task” Assessment in small groups of 4-5 students to test understanding
of growing patterns
Closure -Use white boards/math spiral notebooks to work out the example problem,
Activity/Assessments collaborate with peer students as needed

Copy of MA.4.7.1 Rich Task: Growing Patterns

 -Directions read aloud: chance to ask questions if confused on words, what the
prompt is asking
-Teacher will be circulating room to help with any misunderstanding/guide
Accommodations learning by asking follow-up questions as handout is being completed
-More time given for all students to discuss with their partner before answer is
given/full group discussion begins

Virginia Department of Education Grade 4 Instructional Plans (linked in

Resources used while
planning this lesson
teacher materials section of lesson plan)
-Consulting my cooperating teacher Mrs. Virtue for any suggestions to convey
the concepts concisely
-Mrs. Nardelli for printing handouts
-Youtube for ideas/proper explanation of vocabulary for patterns

Reflection on a Lesson Plan Taught

Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow
Intern Name: Skye Garner

1. What steps did you go through to create this lesson? With whom did you talk, discuss, or edit your lesson?

To create this lesson plan, I first talked to my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Virtue, about what SOL objectives they
have covered and what they were planning on covering in the following week. She told me teaching growing
patterns would be a good topic to cover and more of an interactive lesson, compared to some of the other
math objectives. She sent me some ideas of materials she has used to teach this lesson and a sample of the
assessment the students have to take in order for me to know what needs to be covered in my lesson. I used a
combination of the materials she sent me, most were VDOE materials to create the lesson.

2. What parts of the instructional plan worked as you anticipated?

I used a worksheet as the instructional part of the lesson plan, which I think worked well because it was
something the students were used to doing and not something unanticipated. I had the students work on this
worksheet solving the sequences with their tablemates, which the collaboration was definitely beneficial for the
students to be able to discuss what the question was asking without immediately getting stumped on the
problem. As well, this gave me time to break up the time I spent upfront teaching because I know their attention
spans can be short at this age demographic. I was also able to walk around the classroom and ask scaffolding
questions.

3. What, if any, adjustments needed to be made once you began?

During my introduction/hook activity, some students were not understanding to count the number of sticks,
instead of just the number of triangles. When I was calling on students about the rule of the example sequence,
every student volunteering to answer was saying the rule was adding one triangle, when it was actually a
multiplication rule. I had to reword my question a few different times and give more clues into what I was
talking about. They were still thinking about repeating patterns that they learned in third grade, so I think that is
what the confusion stemmed from. However, after rewording the question and giving them some time to think
about it, the class quickly had a lightbulb moment.

4. How well did you anticipate the materials needed? Did you realize you needed more or less as you taught
your lesson?

I had enough copies of everything because I had talked to my cooperating teacher the day before my lesson and
she was able to run class sets of everything for me. Other than the worksheets, small group we use dry erase
boards. There was not many materials needed for this lesson, so I was prepared for the materials needed.

5. To what degree do you feel that this lesson was a success? What evidence do you have for the success of
the lesson? (Hint: Student learning is the key to a lesson’s success!)

I think the lesson was definitely more successful than unsuccessful, but I also think I have realized that if I were
to pursue a career in teaching, I would want to teach a different subject. I do not think I am the best person to
explain math, just because I have always kind of figured my way in math by not computing problems in the
tradition ways students are taught. I do know the students understood what a growing pattern is because of
the answers they were writing on their worksheets and the full-class discussion we had at the end of the lesson.
The discussion wrapped up the lesson’s big points and why finding a rule is important in patterns.

6. If you could do this lesson again with the same students, would you do anything differently? If so, what?

I would probably make sure I knew how to explain some terms better. The math vocabulary I have from taking
high school and college math classes is very different from fourth grade vocabulary, so I think I used some words
they didn’t understand yet in a math lesson, like variable and generic. I did my best to explain the concepts
when I was standing up teaching after seeing confusion on their faces, but I don’t think I always explain in a
simple enough way. So overall, I think I would write more definitions of vocabulary words on the board for them
to copy down and reference in their math notebooks to help them with their overall understanding before they
completed the worksheet activity.

7. Any last comments/reflections about your lesson?

I think this was a good lesson to start with and be able to plan because it got me back into the flow of lesson
planning and teaching a class. I definitely still think I prefer small group teaching because it can be more
personal and the teacher can focus more on students that need help, but whole class teaching can be nice to
see everyone simultaneously understand the concept. I do think my next lesson I will know more about what to
expect and what to avoid when I am lesson planning.