Name: ____________________________ Date: _______________
Gr. 5 Patterns Unit
Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
Learning Goal
I can create and use pattern rules.
Key Terms
❖ pattern rule: a description that tells how a pattern starts and how it continues (e.g.,
A pattern rule for 2, 4, 8, 16, … is “Start at 2 and multiply each term by 2 to get the
next term”.)
❖ term: each element in a pattern
Lesson Summary
What Is a Pattern Rule?
❖ A pattern rule tells someone how to create and continue a pattern.
e.g., The pattern rule “Start at 4 and multiply each term by 3 to get the next term”
describes the pattern 4, 12, 36, 108, …
The pattern rule “Start at 400 and divide each term by 2 to get the next term”
describes the pattern 400, 200, 100, 50, …
The pattern rule “Start with 4 tiles in a square and increase by a column of 2
tiles each term” describes the pattern below.
❖ The numbers in a pattern do not have to be whole numbers. They can be decimal
numbers or fractions.
Why Do We Need a Pattern Rule?
❖ Without a pattern rule, you don’t know how to continue a pattern.
e.g., The pattern that begins with 3, 6, 9, … could continue:
3, 6, 9, 12, 15, … (increase by 3 each term), or
3, 6, 9, 13, 16, 19, 23, 26, 29, … (increase by 3 twice, increase by 4, repeat), or
3, 6, 9, 30, 60, 90, 300, 600, 900, … (increase by 3 twice, and then multiply the
group of 3 terms by 10 to get the next 3 terms).
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
1
Predicting a Pattern Rule
❖ Sometimes you don’t know a pattern rule, and you have to figure out what it could
be. You can never be sure, but you can look at relationships between the terms in a
pattern to predict a possible rule.
e.g., In the pattern that begins 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, …, each term is 2 times the term
before it, so the rule for this pattern could be “Start at 4 and multiply each term by 2
to get the next term.”
In the pattern that begins with the shapes below, it looks like the rule might be “Start
with 3 tiles and increase by 2 tiles each term.”
Action Task
1.
a) Complete the sentence below to create a pattern rule for a number pattern. Use
at least two digits in each blank.
Start at ______ and increase by ______ each term.
b) Create a table of values to show how your pattern continues for the first 10
terms.
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
2 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
2. Complete the sentence below to create a pattern rule for a number pattern. Use a
single-digit number in each blank. Then show how your pattern continues for 10
terms using a table of values.
Start at _____ and multiply each term by _____ to get the next term.
3. Use your answer in Question 2 to help you continue a division pattern for 10 terms.
Explain the rule for the division pattern.
Start at _____ and divide each term by _____ to get the next term.
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
3 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
4. Complete the pattern rule below. Use as many digits as you want to in each blank.
Then show how your pattern continues for 10 terms using a table of values.
Start at ________ and decrease by ________ each term.
5. Think of two different pattern rules you could use to continue this pattern: 4, 6, 8, …
Pattern 1:___________________________________________________________
Rule 1:_____________________________________________________________
Pattern 2:___________________________________________________________
Rule 2:_____________________________________________________________
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
4 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
Consolidate
6. Why is there always more than one way to continue a pattern?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. Why are pattern rules useful?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
8. Why might a rule like "the pattern starts at 4 and gets bigger" not be as good as a
rule like "the pattern starts at 4 and keeps increasing by 2"?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
9. How might knowing a pattern rule help you figure out the missing numbers in this
pattern?
7, 11, 15, ____, ____, 27, 31, …
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
5 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
Your Turn
10. Create a possible pattern rule for each pattern.
a) 306, 312, 318, 324, …
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
b) 220, 180, 140, 100, …
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
c)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
11. Which could not be a pattern rule for a pattern that starts with 5, 10, … ? Bubble the
letter of the correct answer.
(A) Start at 5 and increase by 5 each term.
(B) Start at 5 and multiple each term by 2 to get the next term.
(C) Start at 5, increase by 5, then increase by 1 more each term.
(D) Start at 5, increase by 10, then increase by 5, then alternate between
increasing by 10 and then by 5.
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
6 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
12. A pattern rule is “Start at 5, increase by 3, then increase by 4, then alternate
between increasing by 3 and then 4”. What is the 10th term? Bubble the letter of the
correct answer.
(A) 32
(B) 35
(C) 36
(D) 42
13. A pattern includes the term 50. Create three different possible pattern rules for the
pattern. Show that 50 is a term in each pattern.
Pattern 1:___________________________________________________________
Rule 1:_____________________________________________________________
Pattern 2:___________________________________________________________
Rule 2:_____________________________________________________________
Pattern 3:___________________________________________________________
Rule 3:_____________________________________________________________
14. Use the pattern rule each time to determine three missing values:
a) A pattern rule is: Start at 10, then increase by 2, decrease by 1, repeat.
10, ______, 11, ______, 12, 14, ______, 15, 14, …
b) A pattern rule is: Repeat the core of 4, 8, 12, 4.
4, 8, 12, ______, ______, 8, 12, 4, 4, ______, 12, 4, 4, 8
c) A pattern rule is: Start at 200, and decrease be 4 each term.
200, 196, 192, ______, 184, 180, ______, ______, 168, …
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
7 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
8 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
9 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5 Patterns
10 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
