Grade
3

What Comes Next? Stacking Boxes

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

First, 1 pink square with the number 1 inside. Next, a 1 by 2 box of purple squares with the number 2. Then a 3 by 2 box of pink squares, 6. Next, a 3 by 3 box of purple squares, 9. Then a 5 by 3 box of pink squares, 15. Last, a 5 by 4 box of purple squares, 20.

Show or tell what the next few pictures look like. Describe how you know.

Challenge

What does the 10th picture look like? What is its area?

Follow-up

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

Printable Version

Google doc for printing and copying

Seesaw Version

Activity for the Seesaw platform

Reference for Educators

Sample problems and solutions