This activity is designed to encourage the exploration of patterns and sequencing together with investigating the underlying mathematics.

This activity is a 'companion' version of the Matchstick Patterns activity where pupils can experiment with their own annotated patterns and sequences.

This work is linked to the following learning outcomes:

• Generate terms of a sequence given a rule
• Generate sequences from practical contexts and describe them in words
• Describe the general term of a sequence in words

Because of the nature of the images, it is difficult to print them so we have made available a worksheet for each activity which allows the pupil to copy their sequence onto it. Alternatively, you could look at their solutions on the screen.

The worksheet below supports the vocabulary linked to sequences and functions.

Pupil Notes

Look at the question at the top of the page. There are three matchstick patterns. By dragging and dropping the matchsticks from the left hand side into the work space, try to make the next matchstick pattern in the sequence.

Can you see the relationship between the number of matchsticks and the pattern sequence? Can you predict the number of matchsticks in the next pattern in the sequence? Talk to somebody about it.

Clicking on the 'worksheet' button opens up a printable version of each question which allows you to draw the sequences and make notes off-line.