Grade
5

What Comes Next? Picturesque Prisms

What do you notice? What do you wonder? What comes next?

3 rectangular prisms. First, a 3 by 3 by 2 prism. The bottom level is yellow. The top level is green. Next, a 4 by 4 by 3 prism. The bottom level is yellow, the middle is green, and the top is orange. Last, a 5 by 5 by 4 prism. From the bottom, the level colors go yellow, then green, then orange, then blue.

Show or tell what the next three rectangular prisms would look like. What will the dimensions be? What will the volume of each prism be? Describe how you know.

Challenge

What would the 10th picture look like? What do you know about its volume or dimensions?

What would the prism before the first picture look like? Why do you think so? 

Follow-up

Create your own volume pattern and share it with someone. Ask them what comes next!

Printable Version

Google doc for printing and copying

Reference for Educators

Sample problems and solutions