39
Generating Sequences
Junior high school
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Objective • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Appreciate the use of letters to represent variables.
Explore number patterns arising from a variety of situations.
Interpret, generalize and use simple relationships, and generate rules for number sequences.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Explanation of the activity • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Express simple functions initially in words and then symbolically.
Initially this will be in words, using ‘ANS’ to represent the variable, but this should lead to using the
letter ‘
a
’.
Through discussion, it is possible to develop understanding of algebraic equivalence; for example ‘
a
+
a
’ is equivalent to ‘2 x
a
’, which is often written as ‘2
a
’. This can lead to simplifying algebraic
expressions.
While working on this activity, students will be developing skills of generalization and refining their
methods of expressing mathematical rules.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Using the calculator • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Calculator functions used: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division,
last answer memory
Let’s look at a sequence, find a rule to generalize it, and check it with our calculators.
Example:
3, 5, 7, 9,
11
…
The above sequence can be described as an ‘ANS + 2’ sequence. This can be confirmed
by adding 2 to 3, then 2 to this sum, and so on.
Add 3 and 2.
3
2
Compare the result of your calculation with each number in the sequence.
Add 2 to this sum.
2
Again, add 2 to this sum.
(
2 )
And so on.
We were thus able to confirm our ‘ANS + 2’ rule.
Try making rules to describe other number sequences.
Press the following buttons and then start operation.
3+2=
DEG
ANS+2=
DEG
ANS+2=
DEG
ANS+2=
DEG
Summary of Contents for EL-531RH
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