What Comes Next? Number Sequences

About This Resource

A free Grade 5 math worksheet on number sequences that go up or down by the same amount each time: finding the rule, continuing a sequence, filling in missing terms, counting back through zero into negative numbers, working with decimal steps, and finding a term far along a sequence without writing every number. Includes a timed lesson plan, a six-activity worksheet, an editable Word version and answer key.

Overview

Students learn that a sequence is a list of numbers that follows a rule, and that in a linear sequence the rule is to add or subtract the same amount every time. They find the difference between neighboring terms to work out the rule, then use the rule to continue the sequence, fill gaps and count back past zero into negative numbers. Decimal steps such as add 0.5 build confidence with decimals. Finally, they find terms far along a sequence by thinking about how many steps are needed, which prepares them for algebra.

Resource Details

Subject: Math
Topic: Number Sequences
Category: Number Sense
File Type: PDF
File Size: 222.6 KB
Published: 08 Nov 2026
Downloads: 0

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Grade 5 math (ages 10–11) 45 minutes Number patterns mental addition and subtraction decimals negative numbers reasoning

Student Task

Write 5, 9, 13, 17 on the board. Ask: "What is the next number? How do you know?" Draw jumps of + 4 between the terms.
Do activities 1 and 2 together, marking the jumps between terms each time.
Students complete activities 3 to 6 on their own. Answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Use

Sequence relay: the first student says a start number and a rule; each student in the row says the next term.
Missing term cards: give cards with one hidden number; partners find it and explain how.
Real-life sequences: a plant grows 1.5 cm a week, or the temperature drops 3 degrees every hour; write the first six terms.

Differentiation

Support: use only whole-number steps that go up, and let students use a number line. Challenge: students write the rule for the nth term, such as 4n + 1, and use it to find term 100.

Answer Key & Assessment

Activities 1 to 5 check finding rules, continuing sequences and finding missing terms (answer key included). Activity 6 shows whether students can explain the step method for terms far along a sequence.

Learning Objectives

Find the rule of a sequence that goes up or down by a constant amount.
Continue a sequence and find missing terms, including decimals and negative numbers.
Find a term far along a sequence using the number of steps.

Teacher Tips

For terms far along the sequence, students often multiply by the term number instead of the number of steps. Show that term 10 is only 9 steps after term 1: start + 9 × the step.

What's Included

6-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (6 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (6 activities)
Editable Word version of the worksheet
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)