Lesson 25

The purpose of this lesson is for students to create and analyze patterns in a real-world context and to solve multi-step problems.

This lesson is optional because it does not address any new mathematical content standards. This lesson does provide students with an opportunity to apply precursor skills of mathematical modeling. In this lesson, students build on their prior understanding and experiences with creating and analyzing patterns to solve multi-step problems in a real-world context.

In the first activity, students make different types of paper flowers. In the second activity, they consider patterns and solve problems involving paper flower garlands. In the third activity, students think of their own pattern and multi-step problems inspired by their process of making paper flowers.

When students ask and answer questions that arise from a given situation, use mathematical features of an object to solve a problem, make choices, analyze real-world situations with mathematical ideas, interpret a mathematical answer in context, and decide if an answer makes sense in the situation, they model with mathematics (MP4).

• Gather rubber bands or pipe cleaners and 60 sheets of tissue paper that measure 18 inches by 24 inches.
• Cut the tissue paper in the following ways (measurements do not need to be exact):
  • 20 sheets cut into strips that are 4 inches by 9 inches
  • 40 sheets cut into strips that are 6 inches by 12 inches (length should be about 2 times the width)

Think about times when students were able to make connections to and build on the ideas of their peers during discussions today. What norms or routines allowed students to engage with other students’ ideas?