Name:

Date:

Welcome to Algebra!
1. Build the pattern on the card given to your group with the blocks you have. Draw
them below as well. Also build and draw the next two steps, which are called terms.

2. How many terms do you have drawn above? ___________________.

3. Describe the pattern. You should describe it in a way that if you read your
description over the phone to someone, they be able to recreate your pattern
exactly. Write out what you would say to them:
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4. If someone asked you whats different about a term from the term before it, the
previous term, what would you say? In other words, what is changing between
terms?
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STOP! Have the teacher check your progress before moving on. While you are
waiting, try to find as many things as you can that your entire group has in common.
(like.All of our names start with N!)
5. Without drawing all of the terms, try to predict what the 15th term will look like.
You can even build it with your blocks if youd like. Draw the 15th term below:

6. Fill in the following chart:

Term
Number of
blocks in
that term

7. Without counting, figure out how many blocks are used in the 15th term. If you
can, figure it out without even flipping your page back to look at it. Add this to your
chart. How did you figure it out?
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8. Count and confirm that your answer is correct! If you made a mistake, try to
figure out what the mistake was. How could you fix it? Tell your group.

9. Without drawing or counting, how many blocks will be used for the 16th term?
Add this to your chart. How do you know?
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10. Without drawing or counting, how many blocks will be used for the 100th term?
Add this to your chart. How do you know? Show any calculations, and write why
you believe your answer is correct.
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STOP! Have the teacher check your progress before moving on. While you are
waiting, count how many times you can find the word math in this classroom
without getting up from your seat.

11. Write a definition for the following vocabulary words:

variable: ______________________________________________________________________________________
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expression: ___________________________________________________________________________________
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In this case, we are going to use the letter __________ as our variable, to represent
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Our expression will represent ____________________________________________________________.
12. Create an expression for your pattern and write it below.

13. Use your expression to calculate how many blocks are in the 50th term. In the
language of algebra, that means n = 50.

STOP! Have the teacher check your progress before moving on. While you are
waiting, practice writing with your opposite hand.

13. Write a definition for the following vocabulary words:

equation: _____________________________________________________________________________________
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formula: ______________________________________________________________________________________
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14. Write an equation to represent your pattern. Define any variables you use!

15. Whew! You just did a lot of Algebra! Good for you!
What was easy about this activity?
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What was hard about this activity?
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Put a dot where you are on this continuum:
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I dont understand
this at all. Not
even one
small piece.

I totally get
it! All of it
makes sense.

Finished? Try these!

1. It sounds kind of weird in real life, but in math, patterns can have a 0th term!
Its the term right before the 1st term. Work backwards and draw the 0th term of
your pattern.

2. Try writing an expression to represent the pattern below. Just like before, use n
to represent the number of the term, and write an expression that represents the
number of blocks in that term.

3. Matt used 31 blocks to create one term in the above pattern. Which term was it?

4. How would you ask question #3 in the language of Algebra?

5. Draw a pattern that could be represented by the expression 3n + 6. Draw at least

the first 3 terms.

6. Write an expression for the following pattern. This one is tricky!