Multiplication and division - Make equal groups grouping - Planning

The second week of Year 3's Autumn term introduces students to the concept of making equal groups through grouping, an important foundation for understanding division and multiplication. The lesson utilises differentiated sheets and teaching slides to accommodate varying learning needs. Key vocabulary such as 'division', 'multiplication', and 'repeated addition' are highlighted, with resources available to support their definitions. Students begin by revisiting the previous lesson's content, where they learn to divide by creating equal groups and then count these to find the total number of groups. This is done using both concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations to solidify their understanding of the link between division, multiplication, and repeated addition.

During the lesson, students engage in partner work to discuss and explain their thought processes, using full sentences to articulate their reasoning. The teaching input models the concept of grouping objects and explores the outcomes when grouping by different numbers. For instance, grouping 6 objects into pairs is compared with grouping them into threes, prompting discussions about the number of groups formed. Activities are designed to help students visualise and calculate division, such as arranging pencils into groups of five and connecting this to repeated addition. Further exercises include using a number line to model division and encouraging students to explore different strategies, like extending their understanding of grouping in multiples of 5. The lesson wraps up with reasoning and problem-solving tasks, where students relate grouping to arrays and manipulate visual representations to solve problems. The plenary involves reflection on the skills used and learned during the lesson, ensuring students can distinguish between sharing and grouping in division. Differentiated outcomes for 'Working Towards', 'Expected', and 'Greater Depth' provide tailored challenges to support each learner's progress.