Becca Wilson

Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center

5th Grade Mathematics, Cara Varnell

Additive and Multiplicative Patterns Lesson

Objective: Students will be able to determine if a table or graph represents an additive pattern or
a multiplicative pattern. Students will be able to explain the difference between the two patterns
using words.

TEKS: 111.7.b.4.D: The student is expected to recognize the difference between additive and
multiplicative numerical patterns given in a table or graph.

Setting: Students in groups of 4-6 will engage in this lesson during 20-minute increments.

Materials: Pattern cards, blank table sheets, student lesson worksheet

Launch: 8 min
Adapted from ​Origo​ lesson 10.10

● Are any of you saving money to buy something?

● Let’s say your mom or dad offers to help with your saving and he gives you two options.
○ One is that whatever amount you save, he will give you an extra $30. So if you
save $2, your parents will give you $30, giving you $32 total.
○ The other is that whatever amount you save, he will match, so if you save $2,
your parents will give you $2 as well.
● Which option do you think is the best? Why?
● Let’s fill in our tables to see which one is best.
○ Hand out blank copies of tables.
○ Notice that on your tables, they are labeled “input” and “output”.
■ For this problem, what would input mean? (the amount you save)
■ What would output mean? (the amount of money you have total)
● What do you notice about each offer as you save more and more money?
○ In the second offer, you get more money if you save more, but in the first offer,
you start with more money.
● Let’s figure out a rule to tell us the total money we would get if we saved “n” amount of
money.
○ This is just like your perimeter and area patterns we’ve been exploring in
Investigations, but not we’ve just made it applicable to real life.

Explore: 8 min.
Adapted from ​Engaging Mathematics​ p.136
 ● Can anyone tell me what mathematical operation we are using in our first table?
(addition)
○ This pattern is called an ​additive pattern​. This means that each time we save
more money, the amount of money we receive increases by the same amount,
because we are just adding $30 to our amount saved, or our ​input.
● Can anyone explain the operation we are using in the second table? (multiplication)
○ This pattern is called a ​multiplicative pattern​. Everyone repeat that word, it’s a
tongue twister. This means that the amount of money we get directly depends on
how much we save, so the amount our parents would give us, or the ​output​,
changes depending on our input.
● Now we are going to see if we can figure out the patterns by ourselves. Try to see if you
can match the pattern card to the correct spot on the chart.
○ Hand out copies of p. 137 as well as baggies of pattern cards to students.

Summarize: 4 min

● How did you decide if a card belonged in the additive or multiplicative space?
● What patterns did you see in the graphs or tables?
● Let’s make a sentence that we can use to remember the difference between additive
and multiplicative patterns. We’ll write it at the bottom of your paper.
○ On dry erase, write a sentence stem “An additive pattern _________. A
multiplicative pattern _________.
■ Additive: adds the same number to the input each time
■ Multiplicative: multiplies the same number to the input each time.
● Before you leave, write on a post-it note a number from 0-3, telling me how confident you
feel about what we’ve learned today.
○ 0 - I am very confused and need help!
○ 1 - I am confused a lot of the time but I think I am getting it.
○ 2 - I understand but just need more practice.
○ 3 - I got this! I could take a test right now and get the answers correct.

Resources:
Pattern cards for student worksheet:
Name: _____________________________ Date: ___________

Get Rich Quicker

Directions: Fill in the tables with the correct values.

Offer #1:​ Whatever amount I save, my parents will give me $30 extra.

Input 1 2 3 4 5 10 50 100
Output 31 32 33

Offer #2:​ Whatever amount I save, my parents will match the amount.

Input 1 2 3 4 5 10 50 100

Output 2 4 6