Patterns in Mathematics: How Many Valentines?
As part of the Teacher’s Lab focusing on Patterns in Mathematics from Annenberg Learner, this activity
challenges students to solve a math problem, first by making the numbers involved easier. The solution to the simple problem is given, but then asks the students to explain which methods they might have used to arrive at the answer. Eight possible ways of figuring out the simple problem are shown. After explaining those possible explanations, it’s back to the original problem. The primary object of this exercise is to have students look for a pattern in a specific example, and extrapolate that to apply to a broader solution. The explanations are clear and very understandable.