Multiplication and division - Make equal groups 2 - Planning

In the second week of the Year 1 Summer term, students delve into the concepts of multiplication and division, focusing on making equal groups. The National Curriculum objectives for this week include counting in multiples of twos, fives, and tens, and solving simple one-step problems using practical resources like concrete objects and pictorial representations. Key vocabulary for the week includes terms such as 'multiplication', 'equal groups', and 'arrays', which are fundamental to understanding the mathematical concepts being taught. To reinforce these terms, vocabulary cards and definitions are available to aid comprehension. The lesson begins with a starter activity where children recap the meaning of 'equal' by creating equal groups themselves. Following this, practical tasks allow students to explore making both equal and unequal groups with cubes and counters, enhancing their understanding of group quantities and the concept of equality.

Throughout the class, teaching input and independent learning are structured to encourage active participation and ensure that students can identify and create equal groups. For instance, children are tasked with grouping a number of peers into equal pairs and then discussing how to alter these groups to make them unequal. The lesson is supported by differentiated worksheets and engaging presentation activities that guide students in recognizing group quantities. The plenary session wraps up the lesson with reflective questions, addressing any common misconceptions, such as confusing the number of items in a group with the number of groups themselves. The learning experience is further enriched with a 'Give me five' reflection activity, where students consider what they have learned about making equal and unequal groups, the skills they have used and found challenging, and the support that helped them during the lesson. Progression is tailored to different levels of understanding, from working towards grasping simple equal group concepts to achieving greater depth by finding total amounts in larger groups.