Ana Parra Martin

02/13/2015
MATH LESSON: Dinner Tables (Early Algebra)
Unit: EXPRESSIONS & PATTERNS
Student learning objectives:
Students will identify patterns and create rules in order to solve a problem.
Students will use a T-chart to record data and identify pattern relationships.
Students will use algebraic notation by substituting variables for words.
Students will work backwards, as a strategy to solve algebraic problems.
Rationale: Students will work on a pattern identification problem relating number of
trapezoid dinner tables to number of available seats One table seats 5 people, 2 tables
seat 8 people, 3 tables seat 11 people, etc. (3n + 2 function).
CCSS Domain: Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Write and interpret numerical expressions (CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.OA.A.1,
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.OA.A.2)
Analyze patterns and relationships (CCSS.MATH.5.OA.B.3)
Target age: 5th grade
Time: 45 min 60 min
Materials: Handouts, pencils, small and class whiteboards, markers, shape tessellation
manipulatives (in shape of chosen dinner tables, e.g. trapezoid), projector.
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Activity:
1. Introduce the lesson: Tell students that they will investigate patterns and
relationships and get a chance to do a little algebra!
2. Framing of the problem: The Linden STEAM Academy is hosting a holiday party
and they want the students to help to plan how many guests will sit together at
tables that have been pushed together into a long row.
3. Pass out handouts, small whiteboards and markers for every student.
4. Introduce seating arrangement: Trapezoid dinner tables. Model how consecutive
tables are arranged together using manipulatives on projector. Pass out shape
tessellation manipulatives for each group of students. Encourage them to try
fitting the shapes together to form longer tables.

5. As whole class: Observe and discuss how many people can be seated at 1 and 2
tables. Students will orally share their responses with the group.

6. Using their handout guides and small individual whiteboards, students will draw
additional dining tables and figure out how many people can be seated.
How many people can sit at three tables, four tables and five tables?
Record this information on the board to scaffold the use of a T-chart. Have
students come up and draw the tables.
7. Ask: What about 10 tables?
In small groups, students figure out how many people would be seated.
Most will continue to draw the tables, some may have begun to see a
pattern develop and will calculate it (e.g. they may notice that 3 people are
added on every time).
8. As whole class: Discuss findings. Allow students from each group to share
answers. Record on board and let students argue any inconsistencies. Encourage
students to come up to the board and prove their answers to the class.
How do you know? How did you figure it out? Can you show us?
9. Ask: What about 100 tables?
In small groups, give a few minutes for students to grapple with problem.
Some may attempt to draw the tables, others may give up, and others may
attempt to apply any patterns they have noticed.
10. As whole class: Discuss students ideas or findings. Record on the board and
encourage students to show/explain their reasoning to the class.
Should we continue drawing the tables when we have so many? Does it
make sense, or could there be a better way to find the number of seats?
Can try giving students another number of tables, e.g. 40 tables.
11. Generalization: Finding the function that relates input (number of tables) and
output (number of available seats).
How can we find the number of people that can be seated if we know the
number of tables?
What operation(s) can we use to get from the number of tables to the
number of people that can be seated at the tables?
Can we use a rule to find the number of people if we know the number of
tables?

12. Students describe the rule using their own words. Give time (1-2 min) for students
to write down responses on their own paper.
13. As whole class: Discuss what each student has written. Record rules on the board.
If students have different responses, give students time to argue if each others
rules are correct or lacking some criteria.
14. Ask: How could you show this relationship mathematically?
Give students some time to come up with mathematical expressions.
Suggest building upon unexecuted expressions from concrete examples.
Students can write these in the How do you know? spaces of handouts.
If further scaffolding is needed, suggest writing the rule as a formula, still
using words (i.e. number of tables x 3 + 2 = number of people seated).
Suggest replacing the words with letters to shorted the formula,
introducing algebraic notation (i.e. t = number of tables, p = number of
people, therefore t x 3 + 2 = p)
Remind students of previous order of operations lesson as they write
their mathematical expressions.
15. As whole class: Discuss what each student has written. Record rules on the board.
If students have different responses, give students time to argue if each others
rules are correct or lacking some criteria.
16. Ask: What if I have n tables?
Students discuss in their small groups first, and then share responses with the
class. Record ideas on the board.
What operations can help me find the number of people seated?
Discuss that when working with variables (unknowns), mathematical
expressions will remain unexecuted. You can plug any value in for n
and the rule will work to give you the number of people. This is algebra!
17. Applying the function in reverse (working backwards): If X people signed up to
the Linden STEAM holiday party, how many tables would we need?
Choose a number that will give them a whole number answer! E.g. 632
(632 2 = 630, 630 / 3 = 210 tables needed)
If they solve this easily, give them a trickier number, e.g. 1523 people
(1523 2 = 1521, 1521 / 3 = 507 tables needed)
18. Briefly discuss how strategies used helped us solve the problem:
Making a table (T-chart) helped us identify the pattern. Stress importance
of looking across the table from input to output, not just down.
Working backwards helped us solve the rule-reversal problem.
Order of operations helped us write and use our rule correctly.
19. Clean up and collect materials.

***
Adaptations: For students who may be more tactile learners, pass out shape tessellation
manipulatives in the shape of dinner tables (trapezoid). As students work in their small
groups, walk around to talk to and help students who may have a little more trouble.
If the 3n + 2 function problem is too complex for the students, modify to a 3n function by
removing the people sitting at either end of the tables (1 table seats 3 people, 2 tables seat
6 people, 3 tables seat 9 people).

If even simpler problems were required, triangular tables would remove the
multiplication barrier making the function n + 2, or square tables would make the
function 2n + 2 (or 2n, if the people sitting at the ends are removed).
Extensions: To extend the lesson, or it seems too easy for the students, try the same
problem but with differently shaped tables to change the relationship between number of
tables and number of people that can be seated. E.g. hexagonal tables would make the
function 4n + 2.

The relationship between the number of sides a table has and the function that relates
number of tables to number of people can also be explored. The rule becomes: (number
of table sides - 2) x number of tables + 2. Give groups of students different tables shapes
to investigate and then discuss as a class to identify this overarching pattern.
Assessment:
Do the students make adequate use of a T-chart and their drawings/manipulatives to help
them find the pattern? Are they able to identify the pattern linking number of tables to
number of seats? Can they articulate a clear rule for any number of tables? Can they
express this rule mathematically? Do they accept the use of letters as variables and can
they incorporate them to express their rule in algebraic notation? Are they able to work
backwards to find the inverse relationship and solve the problem? Walk around as
students are discussing in small groups to identify any difficulties. Collect handouts.