Name: __________________ Date: _________________

The Growing Corner

1. Look at the first 4 figures. Build each pattern in your group. When you have built the first four figures,
raise your hand for it to be checked. Describe what is happening in the pattern. What do you do to make
the pattern grow from one figure to the next? Record the number of blocks in the first 4 figures in the
chart. The first 2 have been done for you as an example.









2. Draw the 5
th
figure of the pattern. How do you know what to draw? What did you do to figure 4 to
create figure 5?







Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 4
Figure 3


3. Fill out the chart for the first 10 figures of the pattern. Build each figure with your blocks as you fill in
the chart. What is happening in the chart? What pattern do you notice? Describe the pattern in your own
words.
Figure
Number:
Number of
total blocks:
Number of
blocks
added:
1 1 1
2 3 2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10



4. In your group, predict what the 20
th
figure of the pattern would look like. Do not build the 20
th
figure.
Use what you know in the chart to figure out a way to determine the number of blocks in the 20
th
figure.











5. Can you and your group come up with a formula/rule that will help you determine how many blocks
are in any figure of the pattern, whether it be the 100
th
figure or the 175
th
figure?















6. In your group, create a poster that shows what is happening in the pattern. Draw the 20
th
figure, and use
it to help explain how you determined the number of blocks that are in the figure. Write your formula on
the poster that you and your group created. Discuss with you group how you will explain to the class what
your group came up with.