August 3, 2005

Today Bethany started the class by talking about patterns in math and science. She first asked them what comes to mind when they hear the word 'patterns'. Using the Pattern Generator applet the students were able to learn how to recognize patterns. Once they had gotten used to the program Bethany challenged the class to decipher a pattern she had created. With some hard work and effective teamwork they were able to do so. Next they were told to develop their own pattern for the rest of the students to decipher.

After the break they continued working on their patterns and then began studying their classmates' creations to determine the pattern they had used. Afterwards they began discussing transformations and translations. Using an applet from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives to explore these concepts further. They finished up the day by submitting their reports, eager for tomorrow's class.