Building graphs
This is a level 2 algebra strand activity from the Figure It Out series. A PDF of the student activity is included.
About this resource
Figure It Out is a series of 80 books published between 1999 and 2009 to support teaching and learning in New Zealand classrooms.
This resource provides the teachers’ notes and answers for one activity from the Figure It Out series. A printable PDF of the student activity can be downloaded from the materials that come with this resource.
Specific learning outcomes:
- Continue a sequential pattern.
- Continue a spatial pattern.
- Show a pattern on a graph.
Building graphs
Achievement objectives
NA2-8: Find rules for the next member in a sequential pattern.
Required materials
- Figure It Out, Level 2–3, Algebra, "Building graphs", page 10
- Cuisenaire rods
- pattern blocks
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
- Building graphs activity (.pdf)
Activity
Activity 1, 2, and 3
As with the graphs formed for page 9, these relations can be shown as sets of points. These points can be written as ordered pairs, such as {(1,4), (2,8), (3,12), (4,16), …}, where the first number (the independent variable) gives the number of sheep and the second number (the dependent variable) gives the number of legs in Activity 1.
The two graphs required are shown in the Answers section.
With both graphs, the sets of points lie along a line because the patterns increase by a regular number between points. For example, in the graph for Activity 1, there are four more legs for each extra sheep.
Activity 1
1.
3 sheep, 12 legs.
4 sheep, 16 legs.
5 sheep, 20 legs.
6 sheep, 24 legs.
2.
3.
Answers could include: The pattern is diagonal.
Activity 2
Activity 3
Answers will vary.
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