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Auralith Learning

Year 7 · Maths · Sequences · Lesson 1

Describing and continuing sequences

Continue linear sequences, find missing terms, decide whether a sequence is linear, and recognise square, cube, triangle and Fibonacci sequences.

Whiteboard video lesson: Describing and continuing sequences

24-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Find the term-to-term rule
  • Continue a linear sequence
  • Find missing terms
  • Decide if a sequence is linear
  • Recognise special sequences

The method

  1. Find the difference between terms.
  2. Same difference: linear. Use it to continue.
  3. Not the same? Look for ×, squares or Fibonacci.
  4. Check the rule works for every term.

Key words: sequence, term, difference, linear, Fibonacci.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

Write the next 2 terms of the sequence 1, 3, 5, 7, ...

  1. Step 1: Find the differences
  2. Step 2: Rule: add 2 each time
  3. Step 3: Continue the sequence

Answer: 9, 11

Question 2

Write the next 2 terms of the sequence 4, 9, 14, 19, ...

  1. Step 1: Find the differences
  2. Step 2: Rule: add 5 each time
  3. Step 3: Continue the sequence

Answer: 24, 29

Question 3

Write the next 2 terms of the sequence 10, 20, 30, 40, ...

  1. Step 1: Find the differences
  2. Step 2: Rule: add 10 each time
  3. Step 3: Continue the sequence

Answer: 50, 60