MATHEMATICS LESSON PLAN
GRADE 8
TERM 1: January – March 2015
PROVINCE:
DISTRICT:
SCHOOL:
TEACHER’S NAME:
DATE:
DURATION:
1 Hour
1. TOPIC: NUMERIC AND GEOMETRIC PATTERNS: NUMERIC PATTERNS (Lesson 2)
2. CONCEPTS & SKILLS TO BE ACHIEVED:
By the end of the lesson learners should know and be able to:

investigate and extend numeric and geometric patterns looking for relationships
between numbers.
describe and justify the general rules for observed relationships between numbers in
own words or algebraic language.
Grade 8 Lesson Plan: 1+4 Intervention – Term 1
3. RESOURCES:
Textbooks, DBE Workbook, Sasol-Inzalo Workbook.

Basic operations with whole numbers.
Numeric patterns done in grade 7.
Integers.

4. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE:

5. REVIEW AND CORRECTION OF HOMEWORK (suggested time: 10 minutes)
Homework provides an opportunity for teachers to track learners’ progress in the mastery of
mathematics concepts and to identify the problematic areas which require immediate attention.
Therefore it is recommended that you place more focus on addressing errors from learner
responses that may later become misconceptions.
6. INTRODUCTION (Suggested time: 10 Minutes)
Ask learners to study the sequences A to F. Ask them which sequence(s) are of the same kind as
sequence A in terms of how you describe the pattern? Ask them to work in pairs and explain their
answers to each other.
Sequence A: 5; 8; 11; 14;...
Sequence B: 2; -4; 8; -16; 32; ….
Sequence C: 1; 2; 4; 7; ….
Sequence D: -3; -7; -11; -15; ....
Sequence E: 4; 5; 7; 10; …
Sequence F: 33; 29; 25; ...
7. LESSON PRESENTATION/DEVELOPMENT (Suggested time: 20 minutes)
Teaching activities
Learning activities
Activity 1.
Whilst the teacher
explains Sizwe’s method,
 Give the following scenario:
learners listen and
Sizwe has been thinking about other ways of finding the rule for the
respond to prompting
sequence 5; 8; 11; 14; …and has drawn up a table. He explains:
questions.
My table shows the terms in the sequence and the difference between
consecutive terms:
Position of the term
term
1
5
2
8
3
3
11
3
4
14
3
Sizwe reasons that the following rule will also work:
Multiply the position of the number by 3 and add 2 to the answer.
I can write this rule as a number sentence:
Position of the number × 3 + 2
I use my number sentence to check:
Grade 8 Lesson Plan: 1+4 Intervention – Term 1
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1 × 3 + 2 = 5;
2 × 3 + 2 = 8;
3 × 3 + 2 = 11
Ask learners the following questions:
a) What do the numbers in bold in Sizwe’s number sentence stand
for?
b) What does the number 3 in Sizwe’s number sentence stand for?
The position of the term can be represented by 𝑛 e.g. in the
sequence above we can write the formula as 𝑛 × 3 + 2 or 3𝑛 + 2.
This is called the general rule.
Activity 2.
Allow learners to try 2 and 3 below in pairs, each time explaining to
each other what they are doing and why.
Learners first discuss in
pairs and then answer
questions 1(a) and (b).
Learners work in pairs on
questions 2 and 3.
Consider the sequence 5; 8; 11; 14; ... and determine;
(a) the general rule.
(b) term number 7 of the sequence
(c) term number 10 of the sequence
(d) the 100th term of the sequence
Consider the sequence: 3; 5; 7; 9; 11; 13; 15; 17; 19;..
(a) Use Sizwe’s explanation to find a rule for this sequence.
(b) Determine the 28th term of the sequence using the general term.
Move around and assist learners where necessary.
8. CLASSWORK (Suggested time: 15 minutes)
Carefully choose the exercises which show different cognitive levels from Sasol-Inzalo workbooks, DBE
workbooks, ANA question papers and any textbook used in your school. The following are some of the
questions that can enhance understanding of numeric patterns.
1. Given the sequence:
8; 15; 22; …
(a) Write down the next 3 terms.
(b) Write down the general rule.
(c) Write down the 12th term.
2. Consider the table below:
Position of the term
term
1
1
2
5
3
25
Grade 8 Lesson Plan: 1+4 Intervention – Term 1
4
125
5
𝑛
Page 3 of 4
(a) Write down the 5th term.
(b) Write down the general rule.
3. Determine the rule and hence the 50th term of the sequences below.
(a)
Position of the term 1
term
1
2
5
3
9
Position of the term 1
term
2
2
1
3
4
50
𝑛
(b)
Sasol-Inzalo Workbook 1
4
4
5
6
6
9
DBE Workbook 1
7
8
50
Textbook
Page 85 No. 1 and 2
Page 86 No. 3 and 4
9. CONSOLIDATION/CONCLUSION & HOMEWORK (Suggested time: 5 minutes)
a) Give learners an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned during the lesson. Let them share
their learning experience with the rest of the class.
b) The primary purpose of Homework is to give each learner an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of
mathematics skills taught in class. Therefore Homework should be purposeful and the principle of
‘Less is more’ is recommended, i.e. give learners few high quality activities that address variety of
skills than many activities that do not enhance learners’ conceptual understanding.
Carefully select appropriate activities from the Sasol-Inzalo workbooks, workbooks and/or textbooks
for learners’ homework. The selected activities should address different cognitive levels.
Recommended Homework: DBE Workbook 1 – Page 57 No. 5
Grade 8 Lesson Plan: 1+4 Intervention – Term 1
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