Let’s explore how existing arithmetic activities and word problems provide opportunities for pattern building, conjecturing, generalizing, and justifying mathematical facts and relationships. Different pedagogical techniques will be modeled that demonstrate how pattern generalization is an activity suitable for developing algebraic thinking and how recursive rules for sequences provide the foundation for conceptual understanding of functions. Emphasis will be placed on connecting concrete, pictorial, and abstract representations to help students develop conceptual understanding, refine procedural fluency, and analyze change in various contexts. Classroom-ready hands-on lessons that empower students to algebrafy will be provided.
