This document provides instructions for a learning task called "Dinosaur Rhythm Patterns" where students work independently to create and extend patterns using images of dinosaurs and corresponding hand movements to represent rhythmic patterns, with the goal of helping students practice identifying, reproducing, and describing patterns through a multisensory activity.

1. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Sample Album of Learning Task Documentation Entry
Learning Task: Dinosaur Rhythm Patterns
Description:
Students work independently creating a
pattern using images of dinosaurs.
Laminated cards with pictures of sixteen
different are available. At the beginning,
stage a maximum of three dinosaur images
can be used for any one pattern. The child at Student Learning Outcomes:
first attempts to match the simple pattern
provided on one of the model cards. Letter Patterning:
cards are used to represent the dinosaurs so
• identifies & reproduces patterns
that a pattern rule or name can be shown.
Pictures of ‘slaps’, ‘snaps’, and ‘claps’ are (e.g. aaa, abab, abcabc, aabaab,
used in addition to the letters to show the abbabb, with different colours,
hand movement to use to produce a sound shapes and objects; supports the
pattern. Next, they attempt to extend the pattern with hand movements
pattern keeping the same rhythm or beat. [clap, slap, snap]
Learning task adapted from: Patterning:
Activities in Math Their Way by Mary • Creates and extends patterns
Baratta-Lorton.
Prerequisite Concepts, Skills, & Values:
Age Group: • follows class routines for selecting,
4.5 to 6.5 years using and returning individual learning
tasks
Subject Area: • adopts class routines for obtaining
Mathematics teacher support to demonstrate
learning tasks and to obtain assistance
Subject Strands: • has experienced songs and music with
Patterning a pronounced beat or rhythm.
• recognizes letters by the sounds
Subject Topic: associated with them
Rhythm Patterns • recognizes patterns in the environment.
Background Information: Learning Theory & Instructional
Children enjoy working with dinosaurs. They are Strategies:
also keen to listen to the sound (rhythm) of patterns
• The activity is based upon a cognitive
that can be heard in songs and music. This
approach where students make links
learning task takes advantage of these two facts as
with previous experiences.
it requires that children explore pattern rhythms as
• The child explores the patterns and
they work with images of dinosaurs.
constructs their own understanding of
pattern at the pictorial, letter rule, and
Student Characteristics Accommodated:
rhythmic levels.
• Linguistic, logical mathematical,
• The student can create original patterns
spatial, and musical intelligences are
and ask others to attempt to match or
accommodated in this activity as
extend them.
students invent dinosaur patterns.

2. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
• Having the student look at the pattern
at three levels the concrete picture
level, the letter symbol level and
finally the sound producing hand
movements allow the child to
recognize inconsistencies or errors.
• This allows the children to self-
correct their work in a systematic
manner.
• Children only engage in this activity
when it is developmentally
appropriate for them and are not
forced to move along with the entire
class or through the forced
progression inherent to printed
workbooks
Introduction of the Learning Task:
• Show the child how to remove the
activity tray from the shelf noting the
placement of each item.
• Take the learning task to an open
space at a table.
• Demonstrate how to use a model
pattern strip as the basis for a
matching pattern.
• Show the child that the letter ‘A’ can
be used to represent the first dinosaur
and letter ‘B’ to represent the next,
Limiting the Number of Cards:
thus develop a rule or name for the
pattern. • The difficulty of this task can
become quite hard if too many
• Place the hand symbol cards above
dinosaur cards are used at the same
the letter pattern to show which
time.
sound should be made.
• Initially limit the child to one or two
• Have the child practise saying the
cards and eventually move on to
letter names and snapping, slapping,
three.
and/or clapping the pattern rhythm.
• There are only three letter cards
• Allow the child to take over and
provided.
recreate their own patterns using the
dinosaur pictures, letters and hand • There are only three hand sound
symbols. cards provided.
• Quite complex rhythm patterns can
Checklist of Tray Items: be produced with this limit of three
• Tray or box cards.
• Plastic zip-lock bag containing the • Only in exceptional cases should the
subset of dinosaur cards that the number of cards be extended beyond
student will use. three.
• Additional cards for pattern models,
pattern letters, and symbols of hand

3. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
movements.
Extension Activities:
1. Students could create patterns and
ask other students to extend them.
2. Students use classroom instruments
to reproduce the rhythm pattern.
3. Students could create even more
complex patterns using other body
movements such as the nod of a head
or the stamp of a foot to represent
additional dinosaur images.
Enrichment Activities:
1. More advanced students could be
asked to use only two dinosaurs and
vary the number of ‘B’ dinosaurs to Evaluation Rubric:
represent patterns with skip counting 1. does not identify and reproduce
of two’s, ten’s, or five’s. patterns:
2. Students could investigate ways in 2. copies a simple pattern (aaa or
which to classify the dinosaurs such abab) from model and
as diet and or size. reproduces it; begins to describe
pattern (with shape or colour
Assessment Techniques: etc.) and supports pattern with
• Student compares order of the movements [clap, slap, snap]:
dinosaur pictures with the letter 3. copies complex pattern (abcabc,
representations and pictures of the aabaab, abb- abb) from a model
hand movements in order to ensure and reproduces it; supports
that the patterns are the same and pattern with movements [clap,
makes corrections as necessary. slap, snap]; begins to describe
• Student assesses the work of other patterns with letter names:
students as they try to complete a
4. listens to a sound pattern and
newly created pattern.
mimics it with a pattern using
• Instructor observes student while
working and provides formative objects, images, or letters.
feedback.
• Instructor examines and analyzes Vocabulary:
complete pattern. pattern, rhythm, slap, snap, clap, dinosaur,
letter names, model
Feedback Suggestions:
References:
• How can you decide which dinosaur
Images from Clipart.com and Hermera
picture should come next?
Photo–Objects.
• Which picture should come before
this one?
Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:
• Which letter should be used for the
• Remember not to cut up the strips of
first picture?
model pattern dinosaurs before
• Which letter should be used for next laminating.
dinosaur?
• Tell me about the rhythm of your Key Words:
pattern. pattern, rhythm, slap, snap, clap, dinosaur,
continue, create, extend, reproduce, model

4. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
• Please use hand movements so that I
can hear your pattern.