Borrow some Cuisenaire Rods

Cuisenaire Rods

These are called cuisenaire rods or sometimes you have them as cubes.  They are used in most Math programs to help students quickly make number associations.  The white rod is a "1" and they progress up by color to the orange "10".  I recently attended a professional development session focusing on using the rods more effectively with elementary students.  As I looked at the rods, all I saw were possibilities for pattern  With the focus on making connections I decided to use a set in the art room and see if my students could create a pattern project using addition combinations.  I challenged students to pick any number 6 or above to focus their patterns on.  The patterns would represent the addition facts for their number with the goal of creating a colorful pattern in the process.  The big build up was that students were told to not explain the project to their Math teachers to see if the teachers could recognize the connections.  This was our secret!  I pre-drew a 10x9 grid for the students to work with.  All the pre-made grids I could find were too small and the finished product would have been tiny.  The rods are actually measured in centimeters so I used the same measurements for the grid I created.

Diamonds of Orange and Blue or Ten

 Ten "X"

I love you 9 X over