Introduction

InthisunitwehavefocusedonGrade5UnitAlgebraicthinkingwhichincludespatternsand
relationsandsolvingvariousproblemswithwholenumbers.InGrade5,thisunitgenerallyfocuseson
patternsandsimpleequationsthatshowhowpatternsextend.Thetwooutcomesthatourlessonsaimto
teachare:
PR1:Determinethepatternruletomakepredictionsaboutsubsequentterms
PR2:Solveproblemsinvolvingsinglevariable,onestepequationswithwholenumber
coefficientsandwholenumbersolutions.

Wedecidedasagrouptoincludefourlessonsthatwouldlastapproximately50minuteseach,but
wealsounderstandthatitisquitepossiblethatstudentswillnotgrasptheconceptsorthatlessonsmay
carryontothenextdaydependingonthepaceatwhichstudentsarelearning.Itcanbeverydifficultfor
studentstograsptheconceptsthatweareproposinghere,however,wehavedecidedtousereallife
examplesasoftenaspossibleinordertomakethesituationsmorerelatableforstudents.Thisunitwould
mostlikelytakeplacearoundAprilorMaytoensurethatthereisplentyoftimeforthestudentstograsp
thebigideasandbecomeexpertsinthepractice.
Wealsofinditcrucialtostresstheimportanceofusingmanipulativesinthelessonaswellas
makingthemreadilyavailabletostudents.Itshouldbenormalintheclassroomforstudentstouse
manipulativesduringMathclass,notsomethingthatisviewednegativelybythestudents.

CurriculumArea:Math
AliciaMatthews,HannahMacDonald,Courtney
Richardson,
ElizabethMurray
AlgebraicThinking:#1:DeterminingPattern
Rules
NCTMStandards:
Understandpatterns,relations,andfunctions.
Representandanalyzemathematicalsituations
andstructuresusingalgebraicsymbols.
Analyzechangeinvariouscontexts.
TimeRequired:50minutes InstructionalGroupings
WholeGroupsharetime,introductionoflesson.
SmallGroupansweringproblemsasagroup.

NBCurriculumOutcomesTargeted
PR1:Determinethepatternruletomakepredictionsaboutsubsequentterms(elements).
[C,CN,PS,R,V]

Materials:
individualwhiteboards
whiteboardmarkers
manipulatives(moneyrepresentations)
whiteboardorsmartboard
Overview
Thislessonwillfocusonteachingstudentsthatpatternsextendinfinitelyandthatwecantellwhich
numberswillcomenextbyusingtheinformationthatweknowaboutthepatternalready.Themain
focusofthisclasswillbelettingstudentsusemanipulativestosolvetheproblemsthattheyarefaced
with.

PreviousLearning
Atthispointintime,studentshavealreadybeenintroducedtopatternsandithasbeenanongoing
processsincefirstgrade,eachyearprogressivelymorecomplex.Studentshavealreadybeenexposed
tothesetypesofproblemsolving,reallifecontextalgebraproblems.

StepsinLesson
EngagingQuestion:(5minutes)Showstudentsapatternandaskthemiftheythinkthepatternstops
atsomepointand,ifso,where?Thendiscusswiththemtheideathatpatternsgoonmuchfurtherthan
wecansee,andthatthereisalwaysawayforustounderstandwherethepatternwillgonext.

Exploration:(20minutes)Atthistime,Iwouldaskeachteam(studentsareseatedinteamsof4)to
retrievetheirwhiteboardfromtheirdesksaswellasadryerasemarkerfromtheirrubbermaidtote.
Whenallstudentshaveawhiteeraseboardandadryerasemarker,askthemtopayattentiontothe
problemthatyouareshowingontheboard.

Tobakecookiesforaschoolbakesale,thequantitiesofingredientsintherecipemustbe
determinedformultiplebatchesofcookies.If2spoonfulsofsugarand3spoonfulsofflouris
neededforonebatch,howmuchisneededfor4batches?7batches?

Askstudentstodrawouttheproblemontheirwhiteboards.Thisisimportantbecausewewanttomake
surethatthestudentsareunderstanding,andteachinginaconcretewayworksbest.Iwillbe
circulatingatthistimetocheckforunderstandingandhelpthosewhoarenotquitethereyet.Once
groupshavefinishedthefirstquestion,moveontothesecond,whichinvolvesthemanipulatives.

Showstudentsatablethatshowstherelationshipbetweenthenumberofstudentsgoingtoa
movieandthetotalcostofthetickets.Havestudentsdescribetherelationshipbetweenthe
studentsandthecostusingamathematicalexpression.Usethepatterntodeterminethenumber
ofstudentsatthemovieiftheticketscost$98.

Askstudentstousethemanipulatives(fakemoney)andaddupthemoneyasiftheyareactuallygoing
tothemovies.

Elaboration:(20minutes)
Toelaborate,havestudentscomeuptothefrontandsharewiththeclassthemethodsthattheyusedin
ordertoanswertheproblems.Alloweachteamtohaveaturnaslongastheywanttoshare.This
allowsthestudentstosolidifytheirlearningandhelpsthosewhodonotquiteunderstandyetbecause
theyareseeingittaughtbytheirpeers(whoselanguagemightbemoreunderstandable).

Evaluation:(5minutes)
Askstudentstocompletea2wishesandastarformandhanditinastheyleaveclass.
2wishes=2thingsthattheywishedtheyknewmoreabout/understoodbetter.
1star=1thingthattheylikedorunderstood.

Thesecanbeusedtocheckforunderstandingaswellastopossiblymodify/accommodatethelesson
forthenextday.
Resources:
NBMathematicsCurriculum
https://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/Mathematics_NB_Curriculum_Grade_5.pdf(Page57)

CurriculumArea:Math AliciaMatthews,HannahMacDonald,Courtney
Richardson,ElizabethMurray
AlgebraicThinking#2:DeterminingPattern
Rules
NCTMStandards:
Understandpatterns,relations,andfunctions.
Representandanalyzemathematicalsituations
andstructuresusingalgebraicsymbols.
Analyzechangeinvariouscontexts.
TimeRequired:50minutes InstructionalGroupings
WholeGroupJotPairSharewithpartners
somethingyoulearnedyesterday.
TieredLessonssmallgroupsaresetupinorder
toanswercertaincomplexquestionssuitedfor
theirdevelopment.

NBCurriculumOutcomesTargeted
PR1:Determinethepatternruletomakepredictionsaboutsubsequentterms(elements).
[C,CN,PS,R,V]

Materials:
PostItNotes
mathnotebooks
pencils
whiteboardorsmartboard
LaminatedOneHundredCharts
whiteboardmarkers

Overview
Thislessonwillfocusonteachingstudentsthatpatternsextendinfinitelyandthatwecantellwhich
numberswillextendthepatternandwhyothernumberswillnot.Themainfocusofthisclasswillbeto
reviewthelanguageandextensionofpatterns.

PreviousLearning
Thisisanelaborationonyesterdayslesson.However,studentsneedtobeabletorecollecttheir
experienceswithpatternsandhaveadeepunderstandingthatpatternscanbeassimpleas2!,3!,4!.
Studentsareexpectedtocompletethequestionsandshow,inmathterms,howtheycancreatea
patternusingwhattheyknow.

StepsinLesson
EngagingQuestion:(5minutes)
Asanextensionfromyesterday,patternscanbefoundinoureverydaylife.
Askstudentstojotpairshareapatternthatwasdiscussedinyesterdaysclass.Todaystudentswill
extendpatternsbyfindingthemissingelements.
Studentsaregivenlaminatedonehundredchartsandawhiteboardmarkertousewhenvisualizingthe
patternsgiven.Forexample,ifstudentsneedtoextendapatternthatis33,35,

Exploration:(10minutes)
AsawholegrouphavestudentsfillinthefollowingblanksontheSmartboardandhavestudentsfillin
missingterms(elements)fromnumbersequencesandidentifythepatternrules.
a.1,4,____,16,___,36(nn)
b.18,16,14,____,____
c.2.4,2.7,____,____,3.6
Discusstherequirementsofcreatingandextendingapattern.

Elaborate:(15minutes)
Tier1:
Extendthemissingelementinthefollowingpatterns:
20,22,24,_____,26
100,103,106,109,____,____,118
118,122,126,130,____,____,____...

Tier2:
Circleinredcrayonwhichtwopatternscompleteanextendingpattern
2,4,6,8,10.
3,6,9,12.
24,26,28
Circleinbluethetwosetsofnumbersthatextendapattern
(n+1),((n+2),(n+3),(n+4)...
(n+5),((n+6),(n+7),(n+8)...
(n+33),(n+35),(n+37),(n+39)...

Tier3:
Askstudentstoexplainwhether84wouldbeincludedineachofthefollowingpatternsand
whyitshouldbeincluded:
a.1,3,5,7
b.4,8,12,16
c.200,192,184,176
Doesthenumber73fitinthefollowingpatterns,explainwhyorwhynot?
77,80,83
61,64,67,70,
22,23,24,25
*Ifstudentsfinishearlyhavethemcomparewiththeirpartnergroupsandexplainhowtheygottheir
answers.Thiswouldhavebeenmodeledearlyintheyear.

Evaluation:(5minutes)
ExitslipforthedayistohavestudentscreateanextendedpatternwriteonaPostItNoteandplaceon
thewhatIhavelearnedtodayboardwiththeirnameontheback.

Thesecanbeusedtocheckforunderstandingaswellastopossiblymodifythelessonforthenextday.
Resources:

https://portal.nbed.nb.ca/tr/cd/Pages/,DanaInfo=portal.nbed.nb.ca,SSL+Grade5.aspx

CurriculumArea:Math AliciaMatthews,HannahMacDonald,CourtneyRichardson,
ElizabethMurray
AlgebraicThinking#3:
Variables
NCTMStandards:
Representandanalyzemathematicalsituationsand
structuresusingalgebraicsymbols
identifysuchpropertiesascommutativity,associativity,and
distributivityandusethemtocomputewithwholenumbers
representtheideaofavariableasanunknownquantityusing
aletterorasymbol
expressmathematicalrelationshipsusingequations.
TimeRequired:50minutes InstructionalGroupings
WholeGroupIntroductionofconceptandrecapoflesson.
SmallGroupWorksheetactivityinpartners,individualjournalentry.

NBCurriculumOutcomesTargeted
PR2:Solveproblemsinvolvingsinglevariable,onestepequationswithwholenumbercoefficientsand
wholenumbersolutions.[C,CN,PS,R]

Materials:
Whiteboard,Counters/Patternblocks,Attachedworksheet,Studentsmathjournals.
Overview:
Thepurposeofthislessonistointroducetheconceptofvariables.

StepsinLesson
EngagingQuestion:(20minutes)
Trytousewhiteboardspaceefficientlysothatfollowingexamplesdontneedtobeerasedandcanbe
usedasareferencepointwhenstudentsaredoingindividualwork.

Telltheclassthatastudentwasgiventhefollowingproblemtosolve:Thereweresomestudentsona
busand12gotoff.Nowthereare14leftonthebus.Nowmanystudentswereoriginallyonthebus?
Tosolvetheproblem,thestudentwrotethisequation:b12=14.Whydidtheyusealetterinthe
equation?

Discuss:
Theletterrepresentsanunknownnumber/value.
Whenwehaveunknownsinanequationwecallthemvariables.
Variablesareusuallyrepresentedbyletterofthealphabet.
Howdowesolvethisequation?Weneedtomakebothsidesequal.

*Donotrushthediscussion.

Asaclasswriteanequationforthefollowingproblem,solveit,thenaskstudentsifthereisanother
possibleequationthatcouldbewrittenforthesameproblem:Therearenow15applesinabasket.
Therewere24atthestart.Somehavebeeneaten.Howmanyappleshavebeeneaten?

Exploration:(10minutes)
Inpairs,havestudentscompletetheattachedworksheet.Theymayusethecolouredcountersor
patternblockstohelpthemsolvetheequations.Eachstudentisresponsibletofilloutaworksheet.

Elaboration:(10minutes)
Allowafewminutesforstudentstofindadifferentpartnertocomparetheiranswers/strategieswith.
Thengoovertheworksheetasaclass,askingstudentstosharehowtheyfoundtheiranswers.Iftime
isrunningshort,focusonquestionsstudentsfounddifficult.
Evaluation:(10minutes)
Writethefollowingquestiononthewhiteboardandhavethestudentsansweritintheirmathjournals
(theydonotneedtocopyitdown,justanswer):Whatisavariable?Usewordsandanequationto
explain.
Resources:
NBMathematicsCurriculum
https://www.gnb.ca/0000/publications/curric/Mathematics_NB_Curriculum_Grade_5.pdf
Worksheet
http://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/equations/onestep/integersaddsub1.pdf

CurriculumArea:Math AliciaMatthews,HannahMacDonald,Courtney
Richardson,
ElizabethMurray
AlgebraicThinking#4:
UnderstandingCoEfficients
NCTMStandards:
Representandanalyzemathematical
situationsandstructuresusingalgebraic
symbols
identifysuchpropertiesascommutativity,
associativity,anddistributivityanduse
themtocomputewithwholenumbers
representtheideaofavariableasan
unknownquantityusingaletterora
symbol
expressmathematicalrelationshipsusing
equations.
TimeRequired:50minutes InstructionalGroupings
WholeGroup
SmallGroup

NBCurriculumOutcomesTargeted
PR2:Solveproblemsinvolvingsinglevariable,onestepequationswithwholenumbercoefficientsand
wholenumbersolutions.[C,CN,PS,R]

Materials:
Smartboard
counters
units
cuecards

Overview
Studentswillbecomefamiliarwiththeroleofacoefficientinanunknownequation

PreviousLearning
Studentshavealreadybecomefamiliarwithsolvingforanunknownvariableinadditionandsubtraction
equations.Nowtheywilldevelopanewstrategyforsolvinganequationwhentheunknownispresent
morethanonce.

StepsinLesson
EngagingQuestion:(5minutes)
Whatifourunknownexistsmorethanonceinanequation?
Wevehadexperienceinsolvingforourunknownvariable,butcanwesolveanequationwherethereis
morethanoneoftheunknownvariable?

Writethefollowingequationonthewhiteboard:n+n=20
Whatdoweknowaboutthevariables?Aretheyrepresentedbyadifferentletter,orthesame
one?Iftheyaretheysameletter,whatdoyouthinkthatmeansaboutthevalueofeach?
So,weknowthatthevariablesontheleftsideofourequationsarethesamenumber,whatnumber
canweaddtwooftoget20?Whatnumbergoesinto20twice?
Usemanipulativessuchasunitsorcounterstoseeifyoucansplit20intotwoequalgroups,our
twoequalvariables.

Exploration:(20minutes)
So,weknowthatwecansolveanequationwithmorethanonevariableifthevariableisthesame.Did
youknowthatthereisalsoasimplerwaytolookatthisequation?

IfIhavethese(holduptwomarkers),doIsaytoyouthatIhaveamarkerplusamarker?oramarker
andamarker?HowdoIexpresstoyouhowmanymarkersIhave,howmanyvariablesIhave?(wait
untilstudentstellyouthatyoushouldsayIhavetwomarkers)

Variablesinequationscanbeexpressedthesameway.Withyourelbowpartner,discussadifferent
waythatyoucouldsaynplusn.(expectanswersliketwons)
Whenwewanttoshowthatwehavetwoofonevariableinanequation,wesimplyputa2infrontofit
(rewritetheequationas2n=20ontheboard)
The2iscalledacoefficient.Acoefficientshowsushowmanyofourvariablewehave.

Writetheequationy+y+y=12ontheboard.Askstudentstoturntotheirelbowpartnerand
discussadifferentwaytheycouldwritethisequation.
Discusspossibleanswershaveavolunteercomeuptowrite3y=12ontheboard.
Cansomeonetellmewhatmyvariableis?Cansomeonetellmewhatmycoefficientis?

So,ifIhavetheequation5d=25,whatwouldthislooklikeasanadditionsentence?Seeifyouand
yourelbowpartnercanusethecoefficienttofigureoutwhatthiswouldlooklikeifwewereshowing
thembeingaddedaltogether.

Elaboration:(20minutes)
Nowthatwehavebeguntounderstandwhatacoefficientisandwhatitdoes,workwithyourelbow
partnertouseyourmanipulatives(units,counters,whateveryouchoose)torepresenthowyoucan
solvethelasttwoequationswelookedat:3y=12and5d=25

Ifstudentsarehavingtrouble,remindthemtothinkthatallofthevariablesarethesame,soallofthe
numberstheyaddtogetherwillbethesame.Encouragethemtocomeupwithstrategiesastohow
theycanensurethatallofthenumberstheydevelopwillbethesame.
Iftheyarestartingwith12counters,howcanthemakesurethatthe3numbersthattheybreakthose
countersupintowillbeequal(make3piles,puttingonecounterineachpileatatime)
Ifstudentscomeupwithnewstrategies,encouragethemtosharethemwiththerestoftheclass.

Askpairstojoinanotherpair(makinggroupsof4)anddiscusswhatnumbertheyfoundthevariableto
represent.

Comebacktogetherasaclass,andsolvetheproblemstogetherusingcountersontheSmartBoard.Ask
thestudentstomakesurethattheyhavetherightanswerwrittendownintheirnotebooks

Evaluation:(5minutes)
Giveeachstudentacuecardandaskthemtosolvethefollowingexitslipquestion

W+W+W+W+W=20
Expressthisequationinasimplerformwithacoefficient
Solveforthevalueofthevariableusingamanipulativeofyourchoice(counters,units,etc)
Resources: