Title – Patterns in Caps for Sale

By – Siobhan Levins

Primary Subject – Math

Secondary Subject – Language Arts

Grade Level – P-3

Procedure:

Present a mystery bag containing different colored caps.

Have each child guess its contents.

Remove all the caps from the bag and arrange them in a pattern.

Ask:

What do you notice about the caps?


The children are likely to recognize that they are in a pattern.

Ask:

What is a pattern?


Review the definition of a pattern, including examples of what does and does not constitute a pattern.

Display the big book

Caps for Sale

by Esphyr Slobodkina.

The students will take turns identifying the front cover, the back cover, and the title page.

Read the story with the children.

Discuss the way the peddler placed the caps on his head.

Model a different pattern he could have used.

Working in pairs, the children will consider their own patterns for the caps.

Each pair will decorate a drawing of a peddler and glue the caps in the desired pattern on top of his head. They will also assign letters to each color cap, thus labeling their pattern ABABAB…, ABCABCABC…, etc.

As the pairs are working, the teacher will monitor their progress.

Those students who finish early may write about their patterns in their journals.

Each pair will present their pattern to the class.

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Siobhan Levins

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