TIP #6 - Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns
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Patterns
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Students start recognizing and organizing patterns from the time they are infants. Pattern recognition is so much a part of human nature that many of us don't even recognize we are engaged in it. If we highlight patterns as a scientific fundamental, it provides a great opportunity for students to see the scientist in themselves from an early age.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states, in a simplified way, that the universe naturally tends toward increasing disorder. While this statement might be a hard idea for adults to understand—let alone elementary students—the simple example of a classroom becoming messy unless everyone helps to put things where they belong to keep it neat is a relatable real-world illustration of this Law.
This is why identifying, working with, and understanding patterns is so fundamental to science instruction and the first of the crosscutting concepts (CCC). Patterns are also a great way to connect science and engineering to other disciplines like math and art. The related science and engineering practices (SEPs) of Analyzing and Interpreting Data and Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking serve as a bridge between the different dimensions of the NGSS and into many math learning objectives. The identification of patterns in shapes—snowflakes, rainbows, a bee’s honeycomb hive—naturally connect science, art, and engineering.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states, in a simplified way, that the universe naturally tends toward increasing disorder. While this statement might be a hard idea for adults to understand—let alone elementary students—the simple example of a classroom becoming messy unless everyone helps to put things where they belong to keep it neat is a relatable real-world illustration of this Law.
- The concept that the natural state of the universe is messy and disordered makes patterns and pattern recognition very fundamental to scientific investigations.
- The presence of patterns tip us off to what things might be connected.
- The nature of patterns give us insight into how things might be connected.
This is why identifying, working with, and understanding patterns is so fundamental to science instruction and the first of the crosscutting concepts (CCC). Patterns are also a great way to connect science and engineering to other disciplines like math and art. The related science and engineering practices (SEPs) of Analyzing and Interpreting Data and Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking serve as a bridge between the different dimensions of the NGSS and into many math learning objectives. The identification of patterns in shapes—snowflakes, rainbows, a bee’s honeycomb hive—naturally connect science, art, and engineering.
The CreositySpace approach
The identification and use of patterns are so fundamental to real world science and engineering that they show up in nearly every CreositySpace unit regardless of the specific standards being addressed. When students are analyzing data or looking for common themes in nature, they are working to articulate a pattern that describes their observations and underlying phenomenon. Below we outline examples from three of our units: Polymer Prodigies (grade 2), Mushroom Maestros (grade 3) and Circuit Creators (grade 4).
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In the "Materials Mix-Up" introductory activity associated with Polymer Prodigies, students must identify and describe patterns in the physical properties of common objects. This investigation expands throughout the unit as students begin to connect physical properties of an object to its suitability for different tasks. |
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Right and Below: In Mushroom Maestros students are asked to organize a variety of living organisms according to the similarities or patterns they find in "Who Are You Most Closely Related To?" sorting activity. Even though the sorting categories are left up to the student, the discussion easily sets the stage for a broader exploration of traits and characteristics including the similarities and differences between parents and offspring.
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Right: In Circuit Creators students explore circuits, LEDs, and electricity generation using bread board and hand cranks generators. To help them better understand how energy is transferred from one place to another they look for patterns in the relationship between electrical energy (represented here as voltage) and mechanical or physical energy (represented here by the hand crank turns per minute).
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Click here to learn more about Polymer Prodigies, Mushroom Maestros, Circuit Creators or our other K-5 science units.
