Planning GuideKindergarten
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Repeating Patterns

Strand: Patterns and Relations (Patterns)
Outcome: 1

Step 4: Assess Student Learning

Guiding Questions

  • Look back at what you determined as acceptable evidence in Step 2.
  • What are the most appropriate methods and activities for assessing student learning?
  • How will I align my assessment strategies with my teaching strategies?

Sample Assessment Tasks

In addition to ongoing assessment throughout the lessons, consider the following sample activities to evaluate students' learning at key milestones. Suggestions are given for assessing all students as a class or in groups, individual students in need of further evaluation and individual or groups of students in a variety of contexts.

A. Whole Class/Group Assessment

Note: Performance-based assessment tasks are under development.

  1. Show the class a pattern of interlocking cubes that show YELLOW, GREEN, YELLOW, GREEN, GREEN, YELLOW and ask them what would they change to make this pattern work.
  2. Hand out large triangle and square shapes, one to each student. Line students up in the following pattern: TRIANGLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE, SQUARE and ask students (without showing them), "If we had 10 students standing up here, what would the 10th student be holding?" Change the pattern and ask again; e.g., try TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE, SQUARE.
  3. On the overhead projector, place an ABAB pattern, using transparent coloured counters. Show it to students for 10 seconds and then cover the pattern. Ask them to draw what would come next. Then, draw on the overhead an ABAB pattern using Xs and Os. After allowing students to look for 10 seconds, cover the pattern and ask them to draw what comes next. This can also be done using ABBABB or ABCABC patterns and so on.
  4. Show students five different patterns you have made with interlocking cubes; e.g.,
    RGRGRGRGR
    BYYBYYBYY
    GRGRGRGR
    BBWBBWBBW
    YRYRYRYR
    Where R=Red, B=Blue, Y=Yellow, G= Green and W=White
    Have students build these pattern trains in small groups and answer the following question: "Which patterns are the same as each other and why?"

B. One-on-One Assessment

Assessment activities can be used with individual students, especially students who may be having difficulty with the outcome.

Examples of One-on-One Assessment Activities  Word

C. Applied Learning

Provide opportunities for students to use their pattern strategies in a practical situation and notice whether or not the strategies transfer. For example, have students think about their weekly pattern of living. They have five days of school and two days without school and this pattern repeats. Have them think about their weekly pattern of activities in school. Is there a pattern to when they have music class? Is there a pattern for when they go to the school library? Is there a pattern to when they play an extra-curricular sport; e.g., every Saturday morning? Have students ask at home if there is a pattern in the daily living; e.g., about meal time. There are patterns on television. If appropriate, ask what pattern their favorite TV shows follow; e.g., some shows are on at the same time five days a week; others are only on Saturday mornings.

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