Algebra: Chicken Boxes

This is a classic reSolve sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum V8.4. It is only available as a downloadable package.

Students look at number patterns and rules using the context of cages at a poultry show. They model and generalise how the number of walls required increase with the number of cages, making tables and graphs and writing rules. They discuss the equivalence of different rules. They design and construct some different cages, observing the changes in the relationships between variables.

This sequence is designed to develop some of the basic elements of algebraic thinking, before students encounter formal algebra. The sequence requires very little background knowledge and only simple whole number calculation. Some upper primary students may use this unit as a scaffolded introduction to the use of letters to stand for varying quantities.

Lesson 1: A Single Row of Bird Boxes

Students model, develop and describe rules for the number of panels needed to build a row of chicken boxes for a poultry show. Students are guided to move from recursive thinking to the relational thinking of functions. Through class discussion, students see that there is more than one correct rule for describing a particular pattern.

Lesson 2: Box Designs with Other Shapes

Students apply and test their understandings from the previous lesson by finding similar relationships for rows of triangular and hexagonal prism based bird boxes.

Lesson 3: Modelling an Array of Chicken Boxes

Students consider patterns arising from the number of components in an array of boxes. Students first look at patterns in additional rows, and then combine these rules with the rules for the first row to calculate quantities of components for the entire array. Students are then challenged to find other patterns in the whole array.

Lesson 4: Modelling Chicken Boxes in 3D

Students are set the open task of finding the number of sticks required to make a three dimensional model of an array of chicken boxes of any size. They build a 4 x 4 array to test their ideas and generalise to create a formula.

Last updated December 17 2020.