Multiplication and division - Multiplication equal groups - Presentation

In an engaging mathematics lesson focusing on multiplication, students delve into the concept of equal groups. This foundational topic is essential for understanding how multiplication operates as repeated addition. The lesson begins with a discussion on what 'equal' means and encourages students to use counters to demonstrate two equal groups. The interactive presentation prompts students to describe equal groups and compare them to identify similarities and differences. The students are tasked with filling in the blanks to express given scenarios as 'equal groups of' a certain number, which helps them visualise and reinforce the concept of multiplication.

Further activities within the lesson guide students to explore different ways of representing equal groups. For example, they are asked to consider various methods to depict 'six equal groups with four in each group' or 'five equal groups with three in each group'. These activities may involve drawing, using physical objects, or adding repeated numbers together to find the total. The lesson also incorporates reasoning tasks where students must explain their thinking, such as identifying which group of money is the odd one out or matching equal groups with their representations. The independent work section challenges students to describe equal groups and represent them differently, fostering a deeper understanding and application of multiplication as equal groups.