Patterns in Shaded Strips

In this assessment, students work with a simple concept: dividing squares (and later rectangles) into equally wide horizontal strips and cutting those trips with one of the diagonals. The resulting cut strips are shaded alternatingly (top strip shaded on the left, 2nd strip on the right, 3rd on the left, etc.). Then, after finding the total area of the shaded parts as a fraction of the total area, students are guided to find the answer to the question: is there a pattern for these areas for squares and rectangles of different size? Students explore squares and rectangles divided into an odd (at first) and into an even (later) number of horizontal strips.