NUMERICAL AND GEOMETRIC PATTERNS

INTRODUCTION

This unit is designed to show students, in their third year of secondary education, how to recognise arithmetic and geometric series, how to use certain strategies to solve problems and to try and work out general rules to express these series using symbols. The activities in this unit are designed to be varied, interesting and motivating but they also lend themselves to small classroom discussions where pupils can compare their ideas and strategies used during the activities. This will hopefully allow them to draw more complete conclusions about the subject. This unit could also be used as part of the optional "Maths Workshop" section.

AIMS

• To work out how an arithmetic series is formed by looking at the numbers in the series.

• To link algebraic equations to geometric patterns.

• To develop strategies of deductive reasoning.

• To focus on some mathematical concepts through games.

• To develop problem solving techniques.

Josep Mª Navarro Canut

Spanish Ministry of Education. Year 2001