Multiplication and division - Make equal groups sharing - Planning

The Year 2 curriculum for Spring focuses on the fundamental concepts of multiplication and division, with a particular emphasis on the 2, 5, and 10 times tables. In this specific week, the objective is for students to recall and use multiplication and division facts, recognising the patterns in odd and even numbers, and to calculate mathematical statements for these operations using the appropriate symbols. Key vocabulary includes terms such as 'multiplication', 'division', 'sharing', 'equal', 'groups', and 'number sentence', among others. This groundwork is essential for understanding how numbers can be combined and separated into equal parts, a skill that underpins much of mathematics.

The lesson begins with a starter activity that prompts students to use concrete objects like cubes to form equal groups, thereby revisiting their prior knowledge. The main teaching input introduces the concept of sharing as a form of division, where children distribute objects into equal groups to understand division practically. Using concrete materials such as counters, cubes, or even food items (with allergy checks in place), students engage in activities that visually and physically demonstrate sharing and its relationship to division. The lesson progresses with various practical and worksheet activities, catering to different levels of understanding from 'Working Towards' to 'Greater Depth'. The plenary concludes with reflective questions, encouraging students to consider what they have learned about sharing versus grouping, the skills they have used and found challenging, and what they will remember from the lesson.