Problem Solving with Pattern Blocks 1 Math Centers
5.0 (268 reviews)Perfect for math centers, fast-finishers, and cooperative learning!Pattern blocks are not just for primary students! This resource will provide your leaners with engaging puzzle tasks that require critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students must analyze four clues in order to correctly
- Grade
- Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7
- Subject
- Math
- Pages
- 57
- Answer key
- Included
- Teaching duration
- 4 Weeks
- Digital download
Description
Perfect for math centers, fast-finishers, and cooperative learning!
Pattern blocks are not just for primary students! This resource will provide your leaners with engaging puzzle tasks that require critical thinking and problem solving skills. Students must analyze four clues in order to correctly arrange six different Pattern Blocks in a specific order. These tasks are designed to activate and expand students’ logical reasoning skills while reinforcing various geometry concepts. The 36 non-routine activities are available in two different formats: “Task Cards”- for independent work, as well as “Group Clues”- for students to work in groups of four.
What’s Included:
•Organizational and instructional tips
•“Five-Frames” for students to place Pattern Block pieces on
•36 “Task Cards”: Perfect for independent work
•36 “Group Clues”: Allows students to work in groups of four
•Student answer sheets for recording solutions
•Answer Key
•Printable Pattern Block Shapes (in color and black-and-white)
Skills Covered:
•Geometry concepts and vocabulary: acute, obtuse, right, congruency, polygons, etc.
•Spatial reasoning
•Visual awareness
•Cooperative learning and communication
•Problem solving and critical thinking
Save money and purchase this as part of theHands-on Math: Build Your Own Bundle!
Problem Solving with Pattern Blocks 2
Pattern Block Fraction Task Cards
Brain Power Math: Non-Routine Problem Solving
Time to Tile: Equivalent Fractions
Time to Tile: Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions
Time to Tile: Adding and Subtracting
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Please read: This is a nonrefundable digital download. Please read the description carefully and examine the preview file before purchasing.
© Copyright 2018 M. Tallman. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by the original purchaser or licensee. This is intended to be used by one teacher unless additional licenses have been purchased. The reproduction of any other part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and placing it on the Internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so makes it possible for an Internet search to make the document available on the Internet, free of charge, and is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Reviews
Showing 11–15 of 374 reviews
Not appropriate for beginning of the year
This is very hard for me to implement until almost the third quarter. Week one has decimals, and my fourth graders don't learn about decimals until the third quarter. It also jumps into division and bigger multiplication early. I wish it had a few weeks of third-grade review.
Affixes Resource Pack
This was not exactly what I was looking for for a supplemental resource for my 5th grade class.
Not a "spiral" review
I wanted to like this so much because it was exactly what I wanted. But, Week 1 already starts talking about coordinate grids and volume, standards that aren't covered until later on in the school year. I wish it was organized by the order the standards are taught throughout the school year instead of introducing end-of-year concepts in the first few weeks.
Great Activities, but Limited Direct Instruction
This resource is advertised as a week-long unit, but in practice it functions more like one day of direct instruction followed by several activity days. There is only one PowerPoint for teaching, with the remaining materials focused on practice.
I expected a more balanced structure with instruction and assessment spread across multiple days. For example, I was able to use the PowerPoint and the second day’s worksheet within a single class period, and the “scoot” activity worked well for a separate day. However, I’m unsure how I’ll incorporate the remaining sketch notes, which might have been more effective if directly integrated into the initial instruction.
One major area for improvement is alignment between instruction and assessment. The assessments and task cards include concepts like “to be” verbs and auxiliary verbs, but these are not introduced or modeled in the PowerPoint. This created confusion for my students and could easily be developed into an additional day of instruction.
Overall, the materials are well-designed and engaging, but the unit would benefit from more comprehensive instruction and clearer alignment between teaching and assessment.
This starts off Running
I thought the assessments would get progressively harder but I do not feel I could start these assessments with my students week 1. I may be able to start them mid year
Questions & Answers (9)
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Just downloaded again and it's the same version I have that contradicts itself.
Very strange. The version I just check on TpT has the trapezoid on the far left in the answer key. Are you downloading from TpT? UPDATE: I know see the issue. Uploading an updated version right now!
Card 15 has something amiss. Clue 2 says the trapezoid is not second from the right but the answer clearly shows it in the second from the right spot. Am I missing something?
Hi Jasper! Thanks for contacting me. I think you may have an older version. Make sure you have downloaded the latest version on TpT. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
I could use a bit of clarification. Does each card have one and only one arrangement that satisfies the clues or is the goal just to find the piece not used and some answers could have more than one way of arranging the shapes on the five-frame?
We've been enjoying this set quite a bit. Thanks for the great resource!
Hello!
Each card should have one arrangement. However, there might be instances where more than one answer is possible. As long as all clues are satisfied, an answer is considered correct.
So I know before I buy. Are the 36 "task cards" and the 36 "group clues" the same tasks (just organised differently) or is the buyer receiving 72 different tasks? (because I'm from Australia - it costs About $10 so it's quite expensive)
Thank you for asking! There are 36 unique tasks, which are formatted in two different ways. The task cards are for independent work, and the clues are for small groups of 4-5 students to solve cooperatively.
What about card 32? Clue 4 states a figure with only 2 congruent side but even the trapezoid has 3 congruent sides.
All fixed! Thank you!!
I believe card 22 is unsolveable due to question 4 and card 12 is also unsolveable because of clue 3. Could you please check and verify in case I am mistaken Edit
Thank you! Both cards have been revised:-)
STILL enjoying this activity SO MUCH!!! It will from now until the end of time be my very favorite pre-quadrilateral unit and end of school activity! A student (and we all have at least one of these students) pointed out that the word "angles" is spelled "angels" on card 9, attribute 2, and that "hexagon" is spelled "hexagram" on card 15, attribute 3. Easy for me to fix with a Sharpie, but if you have a good reason to revise this activity (other than spelling)...
I will fix right away!!! Thank you for letting me know!
Thanks for the wonderful ideas to use with pattern blocks! For the group problem solving, could you please explain how to correctly cut apart the clues? It's not clear to me which clues go together. Thanks!! Beth :)
Hello! The group clues start on page 26. There are 4 clues per task and each task is numbered. There are dotted lines to help guide the cutting. Also each group should also have a set of instructions; these are page 25. Let me know if that helps.
Do you provide a template of pattern blocks?
Yes! I included colored printables and blacklines in case you want to print on colored paper.
