Unit 7, Lesson 4
Pattern Block Puzzles and Equations
Kindergarten
Preparation
Lesson Narrative
In previous units, students have related expressions and equations to story problems, objects, and drawings. Students have separately made sense of equations with the total first () and with the addends first (). In this lesson, students work with both forms of equations in the same activity, which requires them to attend to the placement and meaning of the plus sign. In this lesson, students hear, for the first time, equations read with the term “equals” rather than “is.” In future lessons, students will use equations to represent story problems about pattern blocks.
- Engagement
- MLR8
- Match (orally) addition equations with objects composed of pattern blocks that represent the same relationships.
- Use pattern blocks to represent equations.
- Let’s use equations.
Required Materials
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Required Preparation
- Create a shape with 1 red trapezoid pattern block and 4 green triangle pattern blocks to display in the Activity Synthesis.
- Gather materials from:
- Pattern Blocks, Stages 1–7
- Geoblocks, Stages 1 and 2
- Grab and Count, Stage 1
- Find the Pair, Stages 1 and 2
Suggested Centers
NoneTeacher Reflection Questions
In grade 1, students make sense of the meaning of the equals sign and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. How does the work in this lesson prepare students for the work in grade 1?