How do weathermen and women predict the weather? How can you tell if an earthquake is going to happen soon?

There is no exact way to do any of these things. But there is a way to make an educated guess. You have to watch and observe collected data over a period of time to see if you can spot any patterns, and then try to predict what will happen next.

You will now need your math journal and a pencil.

To warm up your brain into a pattern finding mode, find the next few numbers in these number pattern problems. Copy each problem into your journal, and fill in the blanks. Write down at the very end of your pattern what the rule is for each problem.

E.g. – 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13,   15   ,   17  ,    19    .  ( +2)

1)  1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25, ______ , ______ , ______ .
2)  88, 108, 128, 148, 168, 188, 208, ______ , ______ , ______.
3)  115, 109, 103, 97, 91, 85, 79, ______ , ______ , ______.
4)  6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, ______ , ______ , ______.
5)  672, 622, 572, 522, 472, 422, 372, ______ , ______ , ______.
6)  23, 34, 45, 56, 67, 78, 89, ______ , ______ , ______.
7)  1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63, 127, ______, ________, _________.

Warm enough? Jump to the next part!