Understanding Integer Sequences
Understanding Integer Sequences
Items in this lesson
Understanding Integer Sequences
What do you already know about sequences of numbers?
Learning Objective
At the end of the lesson you will be able to identify, analyse, and describe patterns in sequences of integers and find missing terms.
What is a Sequence?
A sequence is an ordered list of numbers following a certain rule or pattern.
Spotting Patterns
Look at sequences to spot how numbers change from one to the next. Patterns can involve adding, subtracting, or other rules.
Exploring Our Sequence
The Sequence
Observe gaps, differences, or repetition. What relationships can you find?
2, 6, 1, 2, 23, 4, -5
What do you notice?
Calculating Differences
One way to find a pattern is to calculate how much each term changes to the next. Try subtracting each number from the next.
Finding the Rule
Not all sequences follow a simple rule. Sometimes, looking for a pattern takes careful observation and testing different ideas.
Your Turn
Try creating your own sequence. What rule or pattern will you use? Discuss with a partner and see if they can guess your pattern.
Summary
Sequences can be mysterious! With practice, you can identify the pattern, describe the rule, and predict future numbers. Keep practising spotting and creating new sequences.
Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.
Write down 2 things you want to know more about.
Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.
