Growing patterns can tessellate

Show students the video Let's Make a Pattern! This video shows how a pattern can be constructed by adding successive 'rings' of pattern blocks around a central block.

You may download the video transcript for Let's Make a Pattern!

Notice how this activity combines ideas of tessellations (using triangles and squares from a set of pattern blocks) and growing patterns.

Ask students to repeat the same construction, and reconsider the questions asked in the video.

You can use this slide show version of Let's Make a Pattern! to guide the discussion.

Now challenge students to use the same idea to make their own growing patterns, using either real pattern blocks or digital versions of pattern blocks.

They could use a single pattern block, any pair of blocks (as in the video), or even three blocks. Display the most creative patterns.

You might also like to try the Tessellate decorate series of learning objects:

• L7782 Tessellate decorate: squares
• L7781 Tessellate decorate: rectangles
• L7785 Tessellate decorate: rhombuses
• L7787 Tessellate decorate: trapeziums
• L7783 Tessellate decorate: equilateral triangles
• L7784 Tessellate decorate: hexagons and triangles
• L7788 Tessellate decorate: three shapes
• L7786 Tessellate decorate: right-angled triangles