PROBLEM-SOLVING
STRATEGY:
LOOK FOR A PATTERN
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example:
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example:
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Explore Sara worked 30 min per problem set.
Time worked number of problems worked
1st 30 min 3
2nd 30 min 4
3rd 30 min 6
4th 30 min 9
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Explore: Sara worked 30 min per problem set.
Time worked number of problems worked
1st 30 min 3
2nd 30 min 4
3rd 30 min 6
4th 30 min 9
Plan Look for a pattern.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Explore Sara worked 30 min per problem set.
Time worked number of problems worked
1st 30 min 3
2nd 30 min 4 increased by 1
3rd 30 min 6
4th 30 min 9
Plan Look for a pattern.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Explore Sara worked 30 min per problem set.
Time worked number of problems worked
1st 30 min 3
2nd 30 min 4 increased by 1
3rd 30 min 6 increased by 2
4th 30 min 9
Plan Look for a pattern.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Explore Sara worked 30 min per problem set.
Time worked number of problems worked
1st 30 min 3
2nd 30 min 4 increased by 1
3rd 30 min 6 increased by 2
4th 30 min 9 increased by 3
Plan Look for a pattern.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Example
Sara was trying to finish all her math homework on Friday. She did 3
problems the first 30 minutes, 4 problems the next 30 minutes, 6
problems the next 30 minutes, 9 problems the next 30 minutes, and so
forth. If she continues to work at this rate, how many problems will
she have done in 4 hours.
Explore Sara worked 30 min per problem set.
Time worked number of problems worked
1st 30 min 3
2nd 30 min 4 increased by 1
3rd 30 min 6 increased by 2
4th 30 min 9 increased by 3
Plan Look for a pattern. The difference between
numbers increases by 1 each time.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4
Time worked: 1hr
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4 6 9
Time worked: 1hr 2hr
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4 6 9 13 18
Time worked: 1hr 2hr 3hr
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4 6 9 13 18 24 31
Time worked: 1hr 2hr 3hr 4hr
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4 6 9 13 18 24 31
Time worked: 1hr 2hr 3hr 4hr
3 + 4 + 6 + 9 + 13 + 18 + 24 + 31 =
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4 6 9 13 18 24 31
Time worked: 1hr 2hr 3hr 4hr
3 + 4 + 6 + 9 + 13 + 18 + 24 + 31 =
108 problems
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Solve Problems worked: 3 4 6 9 13 18 24 31
Time worked: 1hr 2hr 3hr 4hr
3 + 4 + 6 + 9 + 13 + 18 + 24 + 31 =
108 problems
Examine Do the number of problems worked each half
hour follow the pattern?
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Write a rule to find the successive terms in the pattern.
63, 48, 35, 24, . . . . . .
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Write a rule to find the successive terms in the pattern.
63, 48, 35, 24, . . . . . .
The number decreased by 15, then 13, then 11, so the
next number should decrease by 9 and then by 7. The
number subtracted decreases by two each time.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Write a rule to find the successive terms in the pattern.
63, 48, 35, 24, . . . . . .
The number decreased by 15, then 13, then 11, so the
next number should decrease by 9 and then by 7. The
number subtracted decreases by two each time.
63, 48, 35, 24, 15, 8, 3, 0, -1,. . . . . .
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
The pattern of numbers, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, . . . . ., is called the
Fibonacci sequence. The terms of the sequence are called the
Fibonacci numbers. List the first ten Fibonacci numbers.
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
The pattern of numbers, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, . . . . ., is called the
Fibonacci sequence. The terms of the sequence are called the
Fibonacci numbers. List the first ten Fibonacci numbers.
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find a pattern for the following numbers.
1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 15, 19, . . . . . .
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find a pattern for the following numbers.
1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 15, 19, . . . . . .
Pattern: +2, +2, +3, +3, +4, +4, +5, +5, . . .
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find a pattern for the following numbers.
1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 15, 19, . . . . . .
Pattern: +2, +2, +3, +3, +4, +4, +5, +5, . . .
1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 15, 19, 24, 29, 35, 41, 48, 55, 63, 71. . . . . .
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find the number that should be in the blank space.
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13, __
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find the number that should be in the blank space.
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13, __
Pattern:
Increasing counting numbers
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13
Decreasing counting numbers
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find the number that should be in the blank space.
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13, __
Pattern:
Increasing counting numbers
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13
Decreasing counting numbers
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, . . . . . . 12, 13, 13
1, 24, 2, 23, 3, 22, 4, 21, 5, 20, 6, 19, 7, 18, 8, 17, 9, 16, 10, 15,
11, 14, 12, 13, 13, 12
Problem-Solving Strategy:
Look for a Pattern
Find the number that should be in the blank spaces.
1, 4, 10, 20, 35, 56, __, __, __
