Addition and Subtraction - Multi-step Problems - Planning

Year 5 students are set to enhance their mathematical skills in a lesson dedicated to multi-step addition and subtraction problems. The lesson commences with a review of previously learned concepts, preparing the students to apply both their knowledge and written methods to a variety of problems that may include bar models and word problems. The first activity engages students with a word problem that requires them to work out two consecutive page numbers that sum to 317. They learn to find the halfway point by dividing the sum by two, and then deduce the individual page numbers. This activity is reinforced with additional examples for practice. In the second activity, students tackle a problem involving the ages of three children, using basic algebraic conventions to establish relationships between their ages and solve for each child's age.

The lesson continues with a third activity where students use bar models to visually represent a problem and identify relationships between the given values. They practice finding unknown values by subtracting differences and halving totals to solve for each variable. Throughout the lesson, students are encouraged to work in groups, discuss strategies, and complete differentiated worksheets to further their understanding. Key questions prompt them to identify important information, choose the correct operations, and estimate answers. The lesson aims to address common misconceptions, such as the correct application of column methods for addition and subtraction. Finally, the students reflect on the skills they've learned and the strategies that helped them, ensuring they remember the essential steps for solving multi-step problems. Differentiated outcomes are provided for varying levels of proficiency, from working towards expected standards to achieving greater depth in understanding consecutive numbers and the relationships between sums and differences.