| Lesson start ideas | Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson |
| Which subject | Mathematics |
| What age group | Year or Grade 3 |
| What topic | Number patterns |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Any other preferences |
To introduce and explore the concept of number patterns with the use of counting and visualization techniques.
Begin the lesson by asking students to count forwards and backwards from different numbers at the board. Then write a sequence of numbers on the board with missing numbers, for instance: 1, 3, 5, , 9, 11, 13, 15, , __. Ask the students to identify the missing numbers.
Explain to students that these sequences follow a pattern which is called a number pattern. There are different types of number patterns, such as counting by twos, threes, or fives, and patterns with repeating digits.
Have the students work in pairs to come up with their own number patterns. Provide materials such as blocks or coins to help with visualization. After a few minutes, ask each pair to share their pattern with the class.
End the lesson by discussing the patterns that were shared and summarizing the different types of number patterns. Encourage students to look for number patterns in their daily lives and to continue exploring this concept in their future math lessons.