Patterns Around Us
Smart counting in groups, money patterns, and even and odd numbers explained with pairs.
- Counting quickly by making groups (rows, columns, stacks)
- Counting money arranged in patterns
- Even numbers (can be paired) and odd numbers (one is left over)
- Patterns of even and odd numbers
🍌 Let’s Begin: Counting Bananas
Ramu Kaka sells bananas. He has 6 bunches, and each bunch has 8 bananas. His grandson Pintu starts counting: 1, 2, 3… and gets confused!
Kaka laughs. “Count in groups! 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48. That’s 48 bananas.”
🔢 Part 1: Counting in Groups
When things are arranged in neat rows and columns, don’t count one by one:
- Count one row, then count how many rows there are.
- Use skip counting or multiplication: 5 rows of 7 = 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 35.
Example: A garden has 4 blocks of flower pots. Each block has 3 rows of 3 pots. Each block = 9 pots, so 4 blocks = 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 = 36 pots.
Stacks: 5 trays are stacked, and each tray has 12 idlis → 5 × 12 = 60 idlis.
💰 Part 2: Patterns with Money
To count money quickly, group the same notes and coins together first.
A piggy bank has: 3 notes of ₹20, 4 coins of ₹5, and 6 coins of ₹2.
₹20 × 3 = ₹60 · ₹5 × 4 = ₹20 · ₹2 × 6 = ₹12
Total = ₹92
👫 Part 3: Even and Odd Numbers
Take some marbles and try to put them in pairs (groups of 2):
- If every marble gets a partner → the number is even (2, 4, 6, 8, 10…)
- If one marble is left alone → the number is odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9…)
| Look at the last digit | The number is | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 | Even | 14, 90, 256, 1,008 |
| 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 | Odd | 27, 105, 333, 999 |
Patterns: Numbers go even, odd, even, odd… The numbers before and after an odd number are both even, and the numbers before and after an even number are both odd. All numbers in the table of 2 are even. From 1 to 100, there are 50 even and 50 odd numbers.
In your book: Left-hand pages have even numbers and right-hand pages have odd numbers (or the other way round, depending on the book).
✅ Only look at the last digit. 7 is odd, so 57 is odd.
✏️ Practice Time
Try these on your own first, then check your answer below each question.
📘 NCERT Textbook Activity Help
Hints and answers for the activities in the textbook, page by page. Try each one yourself before looking at the answer!
Page 34 · Let Us CountTrees, cups, and trays
Cups: count the cups in one stack and multiply by the number of stacks (6). Add or subtract for stacks that are taller or shorter.
Trays (3 trays stacked): each tray has 13 white coconut laddoos (a plus shape: 7 across + 6 more up and down) and 12 milk pedas (on the diagonals). So 39 coconut laddoos and 36 milk pedas. (Count one tray in your book to check.)
How much money?
Second pattern: 6 notes of ₹10 = ₹60, plus the coins. Check the value written on each coin and add them. (If the 8 golden coins are ₹5 and the 4 silver ones are ₹1, the total is ₹60 + ₹40 + ₹4 = ₹104.)
₹36 = ₹10 + ₹10 + ₹10 + ₹5 + ₹1 · ₹125 = 12 × ₹10 + ₹5 · ₹183 = 18 × ₹10 + ₹2 + ₹1
Shirley’s and Shiv’s coins
Shiv: 4, 12, 8, 14, 6. All his coins are in pairs, so these are even numbers.
1–20: Odd = 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 · Even = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20. Yes, all numbers in the times-2 table are even.
Even or odd?
Page numbers: on each spread, one side is always even and the other is odd.
Odd: 67, 415, 99 · Even: 30, 46, 78, 300, 154 (look at the last digit)
16 (even) and 61 (odd). To make even numbers, put an even digit last, e.g. 34, 58.
From 1 to 100, there are the same number of each (50 even, 50 odd). Yes, Shiv is right: the numbers before and after an even number are both odd (e.g. 7, 8, 9). Consecutive numbers always go odd, even, odd, even…
👨👩👧 Tips for Parents
- Count eggs in a tray or chairs in rows by multiplying rows by columns.
- Play “pair it up” with spoons or buttons to check even and odd.
- Let your child count the change after shopping.