Name: ____________________________ Date: _______________

Gr. 5 Patterns Unit

Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
Learning Goal
I can create and use pattern rules.

Key Terms
❖ pattern rule: a description that tells how a pattern starts and how it continues (e.g.,
A pattern rule for 2, 4, 8, 16, … is “Start at 2 and multiply each term by 2 to get the
next term”.)

❖ term: each element in a pattern

Lesson Summary

What Is a Pattern Rule?

❖ A pattern rule tells someone how to create and continue a pattern.

e.g., The pattern rule “Start at 4 and multiply each term by 3 to get the next term”
describes the pattern 4, 12, 36, 108, …

The pattern rule “Start at 400 and divide each term by 2 to get the next term”
describes the pattern 400, 200, 100, 50, …

The pattern rule “Start with 4 tiles in a square and increase by a column of 2
tiles each term” describes the pattern below.

❖ The numbers in a pattern do not have to be whole numbers. They can be decimal
numbers or fractions.

Why Do We Need a Pattern Rule?

❖ Without a pattern rule, you don’t know how to continue a pattern.

e.g., The pattern that begins with 3, 6, 9, … could continue:

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, … (increase by 3 each term), or

3, 6, 9, 13, 16, 19, 23, 26, 29, … (increase by 3 twice, increase by 4, repeat), or

3, 6, 9, 30, 60, 90, 300, 600, 900, … (increase by 3 twice, and then multiply the
group of 3 terms by 10 to get the next 3 terms).

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
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Predicting a Pattern Rule
❖ Sometimes you don’t know a pattern rule, and you have to figure out what it could
be. You can never be sure, but you can look at relationships between the terms in a
pattern to predict a possible rule.

e.g., In the pattern that begins 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, …, each term is 2 times the term
before it, so the rule for this pattern could be “Start at 4 and multiply each term by 2
to get the next term.”

In the pattern that begins with the shapes below, it looks like the rule might be “Start
with 3 tiles and increase by 2 tiles each term.”

Action Task

1.
a) Complete the sentence below to create a pattern rule for a number pattern. Use
at least two digits in each blank.

Start at ______ and increase by ______ each term.

b) Create a table of values to show how your pattern continues for the first 10
terms.

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

2 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
2. Complete the sentence below to create a pattern rule for a number pattern. Use a
single-digit number in each blank. Then show how your pattern continues for 10
terms using a table of values.

Start at _____ and multiply each term by _____ to get the next term.

3. Use your answer in Question 2 to help you continue a division pattern for 10 terms.
Explain the rule for the division pattern.

Start at _____ and divide each term by _____ to get the next term.

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

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4. Complete the pattern rule below. Use as many digits as you want to in each blank.
Then show how your pattern continues for 10 terms using a table of values.

Start at ________ and decrease by ________ each term.

5. Think of two different pattern rules you could use to continue this pattern: 4, 6, 8, …

Pattern 1:___________________________________________________________

Rule 1:_____________________________________________________________

Pattern 2:___________________________________________________________

Rule 2:_____________________________________________________________

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

4 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
Consolidate

6. Why is there always more than one way to continue a pattern?

___________________________________________________________________

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7. Why are pattern rules useful?

___________________________________________________________________

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8. Why might a rule like "the pattern starts at 4 and gets bigger" not be as good as a
rule like "the pattern starts at 4 and keeps increasing by 2"?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

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9. How might knowing a pattern rule help you figure out the missing numbers in this
pattern?

7, 11, 15, ____, ____, 27, 31, …

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

5 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
Your Turn

10. Create a possible pattern rule for each pattern.

a) 306, 312, 318, 324, …

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

b) 220, 180, 140, 100, …

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

c)

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

11. Which could not be a pattern rule for a pattern that starts with 5, 10, … ? Bubble the
letter of the correct answer.

(A) Start at 5 and increase by 5 each term.

(B) Start at 5 and multiple each term by 2 to get the next term.

(C) Start at 5, increase by 5, then increase by 1 more each term.

(D) Start at 5, increase by 10, then increase by 5, then alternate between

increasing by 10 and then by 5.

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

6 Lesson 5: Creating and Using Pattern Rules
12. A pattern rule is “Start at 5, increase by 3, then increase by 4, then alternate
between increasing by 3 and then 4”. What is the 10th term? Bubble the letter of the
correct answer.

(A) 32
(B) 35
(C) 36
(D) 42

13. A pattern includes the term 50. Create three different possible pattern rules for the
pattern. Show that 50 is a term in each pattern.

Pattern 1:___________________________________________________________

Rule 1:_____________________________________________________________

Pattern 2:___________________________________________________________

Rule 2:_____________________________________________________________

Pattern 3:___________________________________________________________

Rule 3:_____________________________________________________________

14. Use the pattern rule each time to determine three missing values:

a) A pattern rule is: Start at 10, then increase by 2, decrease by 1, repeat.

10, ______, 11, ______, 12, 14, ______, 15, 14, …

b) A pattern rule is: Repeat the core of 4, 8, 12, 4.

4, 8, 12, ______, ______, 8, 12, 4, 4, ______, 12, 4, 4, 8

c) A pattern rule is: Start at 200, and decrease be 4 each term.

200, 196, 192, ______, 184, 180, ______, ______, 168, …

© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns

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© 2021 Rubicon Publishing Inc. Grade 5  Patterns
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