Grade 1 Numeracy Term 2 Week 8: Patterns and Data Handling Lesson Plan

Your Week Ahead

This week brings together two content areas that complement each other beautifully at Grade 1 level. Your learners will be creating and describing their own simple patterns, and at the same time exploring data handling through sorting, collecting, and organising information. Both strands are woven together with Number, Operations and Relationships as well as Shape and Space, so you will find plenty of natural connections to make across the week.

Patterns, Functions and Algebra in Grade 1 is all about building a sense of order and predictability. When learners create their own patterns rather than just copying one, they develop confidence and begin to understand the rule behind a pattern. This sets the groundwork for algebraic thinking much later in the curriculum. Data Handling at this level is hands-on and concrete. Learners sort real objects, draw pictures of what they have sorted, and then talk about what they noticed. The language of sorting and describing is just as important as the activity itself.

Coming into this week, your learners should already be familiar with identifying and extending simple repeating patterns. They should also have some experience with sorting objects by one attribute, such as colour, shape, or size. If a few learners are still unsure about what makes a pattern a pattern, this week gives you a good opportunity to revisit that through the act of creating their own. Keep your manipulatives and sorting trays close at hand.

What Teachers Are Searching For

• “Grade 1 mathematics lesson plan term 2 PDF download” and similar searches: Many teachers look for ready-to-use CAPS-aligned lesson plans they can download and adapt. Our lesson plan below covers all five days for this week and is available as a Word document so you can edit it to suit your class.
• “Data handling Grade R and Grade 1”: There is a lot of overlap between Grade R and Grade 1 data handling, and teachers often search for resources that bridge the two. At Grade 1, learners move from purely physical sorting to also recording what they sorted through drawings and simple descriptions. This week’s activities build directly on those early sorting experiences.
• “DBE workbooks term 1 and 2 PDF free download”: The DBE workbooks are a go-to reference for many Foundation Phase teachers. The activities in this week’s lesson plan align with the kinds of tasks found in those workbooks, so if your learners are working through the DBE material you will find this plan fits in well alongside it.

This Week’s Lesson Plan

The five days move from creating and describing patterns to collecting, sorting, and talking about data. Each day builds on the one before, and the integrated approach means learners are practising number and shape concepts throughout.

Day 1: Introduce creating own repeating patterns using concrete objects such as counters, shapes, or beads. Learners describe their pattern to a partner using colour, shape, or size as the rule.

Day 2: Learners draw their own simple patterns on paper. Focus on identifying and articulating the repeating unit. Discuss what makes a pattern different from a random arrangement.

Day 3: Introduce data handling. Learners collect a small set of objects or pictures and sort them into groups by a chosen attribute. They draw a picture of their sorted collections.

Day 4: Learners organise their sorted data and answer guided questions about the sorting process, for example which group has the most, which has the fewest, and how many altogether.

Day 5: Integrated consolidation activity. Learners create a pattern using sorted objects, describe the pattern and the sorting rule, and share their work with the class. Use this as an informal assessment opportunity.

Download Your Lesson Plan

Download the full 5-day lesson plan as a Word document. Includes detailed activities, differentiation notes, and assessment guidance.

Download Lesson Plan (Word)