Kindergarten Lesson Plan on Patterns
By Suzanne Duarte Jones
Lesson Objective:
Students will understand what a pattern is and begin to be able to
complete and create patterns.
Standards Addressed:
● Mathematics Content Standard for California: Kindergarten - Statistics,
Data Analysis and Probability 1.0, 1.2 Identify, describe, and extend
simple patterns(such as circle or triangles) by referring to their shapes,
sizes or colors.
● ELA Content Standards for California: Reading: Vocabulary and Concept
Development 1.18 Describe common objects and events in both general
and specific language.
Listening and Speaking: Comprehension 1.1 Understand and
follow one- and two-step oral directions; 1.2 Share
information and ideas, speaking audibly and in complete,
coherent sentences.
2.1 Describe people, places and things (e.g., size, color, shape),
locations, and actions.
● ELD Content Standards for California
Interacting in meaningful ways: A. Collaborative 1. Exchanging
information with others through oral collaborative conversations on a
range of social and academic topics; B. Interpretive 5. Listening actively to
spoken English on a range of social and academic topics; C. Productive 9.
Expressing information and ideas...
● Science Content Standards for California: Investigation and
Experimentation 4.d Compare and sort common objects by one physical
attribute (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight).
● California Science Framework appendix 1, 2. Developing and Using
Models (Grades K-2),p. 1579 Develop and/or use a model to represent
amounts, relationships, relative scales (bigger, smaller) and/or patterns
in the natural and designed world(s).
● Social Studies K.1, 1. Follow rules, such as sharing and taking turns, and
know the consequences of breaking them.
Instruction:
1. Anticipatory set:
Read aloud Beep Beep, Vroom Vroom, by Stuart Murphy, discussing
illustrations of patterns.
2. Objective and purpose:
“Today we will be working with patterns and learning how to
recognize and make them. You use patterns to do math, read,
write, do science, art, music and building. Patterns are important
every day.”
3. Input:
“A pattern is a set of things that repeats again and again in the
same order. Repeat means to do over and over.”
4. Modeling:
Teacher demonstrates a simple abab pattern using two colors of
Unifix Cubes and linking the cubes together.
5. Checking for understanding:
Teacher asks “what color comes next?” Teacher makes a pattern
with other colors, asks “what comes next?” Teacher makes an
abcabc pattern with three colors and asks “Is this a pattern?”
6. Guided Practice:
Teacher distributes small containers of Unifix Cubes. “Take a red
cube and attach a blue one. Now add a red one. Now add a blue.
What comes next?”
7. Independent practice:
Teacher gives instruction “Now I want you to use your cubes to
make your own pattern” and supervises children as they practice
making patterns.
Closure:
Teacher distributes index cards and colorful stickers., quickly
demonstrates making a row of alternating colors. “Now I want you
to make a pattern on your card using at least four stickers. When
you are done give me your card and line up for recess.”
Extensions:
● Students create patterns using materials such as wooden
cubes, beads, pattern blocks, links, attribute blocks, and
pegboards.
● Students create patterns using art media such as crayons,
paint and tissue paper.
● Teacher introduces chants, rounds, clapping rhythms and
percussion such as shakers and rhythm sticks.
● Read aloud and have in classroom library books about patterns
such as: Patterns/Los Disenos by Bev Schumacher, Lots and
Lots of Zebra Stripes: Patterns in Nature by Stephen
Swinburne, Bees, Snails and Peacock Tails by Betsy Franco,
Patterns Everywhere by Julie Dalton, Mortimer’s Math
Patterns by Karen Bryant-Mole, I See Patterns by Linda
Benton, and The Crayola Patterns Book by Mari Schuh.
● Read Big Books with patterned language such as Brown Bear,
Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear,
What Do You Hear? By Bill Martin, Jr. and I Went Walking and
Let’s Go Visiting by Sue Williams.
