IB Middle Years Programme · Mathematics MYP Year 1

Patterns, Sequences & Algebraic Thinking

Cover illustration for Patterns, Sequences & Algebraic Thinking (Mathematics MYP Year 1).
MYP · Mathematics MYP Year 1

Patterns, Sequences & Algebraic Thinking

MYP Mathematics Year 1 — Patterns, Sequences & Algebraic Thinking (strand: Form)

20 min readFoundationalCore strand — assessed through Criterion A (Knowing & Understanding) and Criterion B (Investigating Patterns) tasks; the foundation every later MYP algebra unit builds on.

Patterns are the skeleton of algebra — every formula you'll ever meet started life as someone noticing that numbers, shapes or ages repeat with a logic underneath. This unit trains your eye to spot that logic fast, then forces you to write it down precisely enough that anyone (or a computer) could continue it without seeing your working.

Overview

A sequence is an ordered list of numbers; a pattern is the visible logic behind that list. This unit gives you the tools to name a pattern (arithmetic, geometric, or something curvier), turn it into an algebraic rule, and use that rule to predict or check further terms — including spotting when the pattern being claimed doesn't actually hold.

  • Every question type here reduces to the same three moves: spot the rule → name it → use it.
  • Real exam questions almost never just ask for the next number — they ask you to describe HOW you know, or to check someone else's claim.
  • Marks for 'describe' and 'give a reason' questions live in the sentence, not the digit.

The shape of the chapter

Command terms that decide how you answer

Command termWhat it demandsAOMark-earning move
IdentifyPick out or name the correct item from given information.AO1One correct word/number earns the mark — no working required.
DescribeGive a detailed account explaining what is happening and why, in a full sentence.AO2A bare correct number with no explanation loses this mark, even if the arithmetic is right.
StateGive a short, direct answer with no justification needed.AO1Extra explanation isn't penalised, but it isn't required for the mark either.
ListWrite down items, usually values in order, with minimal explanation.AO1Full sentences waste time here — just the ordered values.
Give a reason / JustifySupport a statement with a valid, specific mathematical reason.AO3The mark is for the REASON, not for repeating the original statement.

Key point

A sequence is a list of numbers in order; a pattern is the logic behind it. Every question here wants the same three things: find the rule, name it correctly, then use it to predict or check a claim.

Overview