Stacking cans

Stacking cans

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
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Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
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Further Resources
This task is about growing patterns and rules.
Stacking-cans-graphic.png
These cans are stacked in a display at the supermarket.
Look at the pattern of how the cans are stacked and answer the following questions.

Question 1Change answer

a) How many cans would there be in a stack which is: 
i)  2 rows high?
ii) 5 rows high?
iii) 8 rows high?

Question 1Change answer

b)  Complete this sentence: 
"Each row in a stack has  more can(s) than the row on top of it."



Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper or online with auto-marking.
Level:
3
Description of task: 
Students work out the number of cans in a stack of a given height, and complete a sentence that states the rule.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with within the Mathematics Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y6 (12/1997)

a) i)
ii)
iii)
3
15
36
easy
easy
difficult
b)   1 moderate
 
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Student response Likely calculation
a) i) 5 Takes off top can from stack of six cans.
a) i-iii) 2, 5, 8 respectively
4, 10, 16 respectively
Height of cans.
Multiplies height of cans by two.
b) 3 or 4 Gives number of cans in bottom row of diagrams.