1. food and drink
2. food
3. grains and pasta

140
Macaroni Necklaces
Objective To provide practice with creating and
describing patterns through an art project.
Whole Group
Small Group
Partners
Center
Key Concepts and Skills
Planning Tip Dye pasta
• Create and describe a pattern. [Patterns, Functions, and Algebra Goal 1]
Terms to Use pattern, repeat
Materials Home Link Master (Math Masters, p. 25); tube-shaped macaroni or other hollow pasta; string;
food coloring; rubbing alcohol (optional)
A
Core Activities
䉴 Making Macaroni Necklaces
Provide a large quantity of one type of stringable
pasta, dyed in several different colors. Have children
string the colored pasta in patterns to make necklaces. Ask them to describe the pattern they created.
(For example: red, blue; red blue; ... or yellow and two
blues; yellow and two blues; ...) Encourage children to
note similarities and differences in their patterns.
Leave the materials in a center until all children
have a chance to make at least one necklace.
Ongoing
Assessment:
Recognizing Student
Achievement
Use Making Macaroni
Necklaces to assess children’s
ability to create, extend, and
describe patterns. Children are
making adequate progress if
they are able to independently
make a patterned necklace and
describe the pattern.
[Patterns, Functions, and Algebra Goal 1]
After children have made necklaces with one
type of pasta, provide a mixture of pasta shapes in different colors to use to
create necklaces with more complex patterns. You might put photographs of
children’s necklaces in their portfolios, if you use portfolio assessment.
by gently shaking it in a jar with
food coloring or liquid watercolors.
Add rubbing alcohol to the food
coloring for more vivid colors.
Home Link 3 2
䉬
(Math Masters, p. 25)
Name
HOME LINK
32
䉬
Children create shape and color patterns at home with cereal or pasta.
Family
Note
䉴 Estimating Pennies
B
Teaching Options
EXTRA PRACTICE
䉴 Creating Pattern Strips
Use the Pattern-Block Template and markers to begin patterns of varying complexity on
sentence strips. Leave space for children to use pattern blocks to extend the pattern on
the strips. Keep the strips in the Math Center.
ART CONNECTION
䉴 Making Pattern Prints
Children can make pattern prints by dipping a variety of different-shaped sponges or
cookie cutters into different-colored paints and pressing them onto paper.
141 Activity 3 2 Macaroni Necklaces
䉬
Your child is learning to identify a pattern in a simple arrangement of objects and to predict
how the pattern will continue. The concept of predictable, repeating patterns is an important
part of mathematics.
To dye pasta for making color patterns, place the pasta in a jar with some rubbing alcohol
and a few drops of food coloring. Carefully shake the jar, and then lay the pasta on a piece
of newspaper to dry. Or you can buy pasta in different colors from the grocery store. (Use
tube-shaped pasta if children will be stringing it for necklaces or bracelets.)
You can make patterns with food.
Use cereal and crackers that have different
shapes and colors.
Use cereal or pasta with holes to make a
necklace or bracelet.
String the cereal or pasta
(or both) in a pattern on
yarn. Make shape
patterns, color patterns, or
both.
Copyright © Wright Group/McGraw-Hill
(Revisit Activity 2䉬13, p. 114)
Put 20 pennies in a clear jar and ask children to estimate how many pennies are inside.
Provide an identical “reference jar” with 10 pennies in it for comparison (mark the
number on the jar). Have each child record his or her estimate on an index card or
stick-on note. Provide help as needed. Work with the class to order the cards from lowest
to highest estimate. Count the pennies and compare the actual number to the children’s
estimates. Children’s estimate cards can be arranged in a non-permanent bar graph,
with all of the “way too low” estimates in a column on the left, all of the “pretty close”
estimates in the middle column, and all of the “way too high” estimates in a third
column on the right. Discuss what range of numbers should be considered “pretty close.”
The steps in this activity provide practice with writing, ordering, and comparing
numbers; you might repeat them each time you do an estimation activity.
Date
Shape and Color Patterns
Glue your patterns on
paper if you don’t want a
necklace or bracelet.
(Do not eat these patterns!)
25
Math Masters, p. 25