Repeating bead patterns

This task is about describing and predicting repeating patterns.

Practical task

Your teacher will give you some beads of different colours and some threading string.

a)   Put 5 beads on the string. Make sure you use 3 different colours.

  • Make a pattern by adding another 5 beads in exactly the same order as the first 5.
  • Carry on making this pattern by adding another 5 beads in the same order.
  • Ask your teacher to check your pattern before filling in the table below.
  • Write the colour of each bead in your pattern on the table below, starting with the first bead.

Number of bead

Colour

1

 

2

 

3

 

4

 

5

 

6

 

7

 

8

 

9

 

10

 

11

 

12

 

13

 

14

 
 
 
 
b) i)

ii)

What colour will the 20th bead in your pattern be? _______________________

How did you work out your answer?

 

 

 

c) i)

ii)

What colour will the 71st bead in your pattern be? _______________________

How did you work out your answer?