Describe ways of solving puzzles and problems, explaining choices and decisions orally or using pictures

(Objective repeated in Blocks A & C Units 1, 2 & 3)

• Pose question to the class. Ben went to the shop and paid 8p for an apple.

Q What coins could he use?

• Children to work with partner to find one solution and show using coins or money fan.

• Collect different suggestions.

• Record on board (try to include same answer with coins in different order).

Q Are any of these answers the same?

Q How do you know?

• Children to identify solutions with same coins in different order.

• We need to make sure we have all the answers.

• Teacher to model systematic recording of answers eg

5+2+1
5+1+1+1
2+2+2+2
2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 etc

Children to work in pairs on gobstopper problem – Mathematical Challenges for Able Pupils No. 2.
• Write on the board: When I add 10 to a number the ones digit stays the same.

Explain that we are going to find examples to find out if this statement is true.

Write on the board 2 + 10.

Q What is the answer to 2 + 10?

Q How can we show this on the hundred square?
Model using the hundred square to count on 10 from 2.

Q Did the ones digit stay the same?

Agree that it did. Record 2 + 10 = 12 then write on the board 12 + 10.

Q What is the ones digit in 12? Will it stay the same if we add
10?
• Ask the children to find 12 + 10. Collect responses and discuss strategies. Look at the hundred square and add on 10 from 12.

Record on the board 12 + 10 = 22

Q Is there a short cut that we can use on the hundred square?

Remind the children that when we count on 10 squares we land on the number below.

Use the bead string to add 10 onto 12. Draw attention to the pattern of the beads.

Q Did the ones digit stay the same?

Agree that it did.

• Write on the board 13 + 10 and ask the children to work out the calculation. Collect answers and strategies. Establish that the ones digit
stayed the same. Repeat for other examples, using the hundred square and bead string to show the pattern.

Q Do you think that this will always be true?

Establish that it would take a long time to test every number but that as a class we could test a lot of numbers. Say that you will share out the
number cards 0–90 to the children in the class and that you would like them to work in pairs to test the numbers they are given. They should add
10 to their numbers, record the number sentences in their books and see if the units digit does stay the same.
Invite a child to choose two items to buy from the Stationery Shop (Resource sheet Y1 1).

Ask:

If (s)he buys these two items from the shop how can we work out how much change (s)he would get from 20p?

What would we have to work out first?

What would we have to do next?

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Ask the children to work in pairs to do the first step – finding the total cost of the two items – and record their method using a number sentence on
their whiteboards. Discuss the methods used and remind children that we can add the amounts in any order.

Now ask the children to do the next step in the problem – finding the change from 20p. Agree how they can find the difference between the total
cost and 20p.

Ask some children to share their methods and record them on the board.

Ask:

Can you show me which coins (s)he might get in her change?

Discuss the different ways that the change could be given.

Repeat.

Children could choose different items to buy and calculate the change from 20p.
Show the children a short problem – Resource sheet Y1 2. Read through the problem together.

• What do we need to find out?

• What is the important information?
• What operation do we need to use?
• How can we write a number sentence for that calculation?

Ask the children how they would solve the problem.

Write the number sentence on the board. Remind children that we can check the total by adding in a different order.

Repeat with some of the problems on Resource sheet Y1 3 reminding children of the steps in their thinking when they are solving problems.

You could use the problem solving approach on Resource sheet Y1 4.

Children could work in groups to solve a small number of similar differentiated problems.
Show the children the problem from Resource sheet Y1 2.
Read through the problem together.
Remind the class about the questions we ask ourselves to help us to solve problems.

• What do we need to find out?

• What is the important information?
• What operation do we need to use?
• How can we write a number sentence for that calculation?

Ask:

Can you tell me the number sentence we use to work out the answer to this problem?
Record the number sentence on the board.

Ask:

Can anyone think of another problem that would have the same number sentence?
Model how to make up a number story using contexts other than the stationery shop.
Give the children time to talk in pairs about a problem that would fit this number sentence.
Repeat with a selection of addition and subtraction sentences allowing time for children to work in pairs or larger groups to make up ‘number
stories’.

Give groups strips of paper with individual calculations on. Ask them to make up problems/number stories to fit the calculations.
Children could draw pictures or use real items to illustrate their number story.
Ask some children to be prepared to share their ideas in the plenary.

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Show the children a picture of two dogs. Tell them that you have 10 spots to share between the dogs.
Point to the first dog and say, I’m going to put all the spots on this dog. That’s 10 spots on this dog.
How many are on the other dog?
Ask a child to move 1 spot on to the dog with no spots.
Point to the first dog and ask: How many spots has this dog now?
How many has the other dog?
Draw and write the number of spots on the board: 10 0, 9 1

Move another spot and ask the children if they can continue the next pattern on their whiteboards.
If they seem secure with this ask them to continue the pattern until the second dog has all the spots.
Now give the children 10 counters or cubes between 2 and ask them to work in pairs sharing the ‘apples’ between 2 trees.
The number of ‘apples’ can be differentiated according to children’s abilities.
Using an interactive whiteboard show the children a picture of 2 t-shirts (1 green, 1 yellow) and 2 pairs of shorts (1 red, 1 blue) and a picture of a
boy.
Ask a child to choose a t-shirt and pair of shorts for the boy. Note the choice beside the picture e.g. red + green.
Return the clothes and ask:
Can anyone think of a different way of dressing Sam
Continue until all the combinations have been found. i.e. red/green, red/yellow, blue/green, blue/yellow
Ask the children: Are there any more ways we could dress Sam? How do you know?
Now ask the children to work in pairs using 2 different coloured crayons to colour a rectangle divided into halves. How many combinations can
they find?
This can be extended to 3 colours or a rectangle in thirds (or both).
Show the children a picture of a tree and tell them that it is autumn and the tree has both brown and orange leaves. As it has been windy there
are only 5 leaves left on the tree.
Using simple cut-out leaves, say that you are going to put 1 brown leaf and 4 orange leaves on the tree.
Write the calculation 1 + 4 = 5 next to the tree.
Ask a child if he/she can find another way to put 5 leaves on the tree.
Record that calculation.
Ask the children to work in pairs and write other ways on their whiteboards. If necessary give some children a brown and an orange felt tip to
record.
After a few minutes share what the children have done, recording the calculations on the board.
Do you think we have found all the different ways of putting brown and orange leaves on the tree?
Ask individual children to give their reasons.
Put the calculations in order: 0 5, 1 4, 2 3, 3 2, 4 1, 5 0 to show that there are no more.
Now give the children a selection of 2 colours of cubes and ask them to work in pairs to find all the different ways of making 4, 6, 10, etc according
to ability.
Show the children a 1p, 2p and 5p coin and remind them of how much each is worth. .
Now show them a picture of a toy with a 5p label on it.
Say that you would like to but this toy but you only have 1p, 2p and 5p coins in your purse.
What coins could I use to buy this toy?
Ask children to work in pairs and draw/write an answer on their whiteboards.
Record all the different suggestions on the board, discussing any that are the same but written in a different order e.g. 2p + 2p + 1p and 2p = 1p +
2p, etc
Have we got all the possible combinations of coins that make 5p? How do you know?
Show systematic way of recording.
Now ask the children to find ways of buying a toy for 4p, 6p, 9p, etc according to ability and to record it like you have on the board.
Revise coins and values up to 10p.
Tell the children you want to make 5p using 3 coins.
Ask them to work in pairs and record their suggestions on their whiteboard.
Take answers and record on the board: 2p + 2p + 1p
Repeat asking for 3 coins to make 7p. (5p + 1p + 1p)
Now ask them to work in pairs and find ways of making 10p with 2 coins, 4 coins, 6 coins (2 different ways)
Show children a variety of real items with price labels.
Ask how much a pen and felt tip would cost altogether.
Record the answer. e.g. 3p + 4p = 7p
Repeat this several times for different items.
Now ask: I spent 10p. What could I have bought?
Children to discuss with a partner then give suggestions
List on the board including examples containing 2 of a particular item
Give the children a copy of Resource sheet Y1 5 and a selection of questions as above. Ask them to record their answers using words or pictures.
Show the children a pair of balance scales and ask:
What will happen if I put this brick on one side of the balance?
Agree that the one side will go down.

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What will happen if I leave the brick on that side and put this cube on the other side?
Take suggestions then put the cube on and demonstrate that the brick is lower than the cube.
Which is heavier – the brick or the cube? How do you know?
Repeat for other items using the language heavier than and lighter than.
Now put the children into groups of 3 or 4 and give them a selection of 3 items and a set of balance scales.
Say that you want them to put the items in order starting with the lightest.
After a few minutes bring the children back together and share their findings.
Ask specifically how they worked out which was the lightest/heaviest.

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RESOURCE SHEET Y1 1

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 RESOURCE SHEET Y1 2

Anna buys 4 pencils

Harry buys 5 pencils

How many pencils do they buy altogether?

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 RESOURCE SHEET Y1 3

There are 14 pairs of scissors in the

shop. Lee buys 5 pairs of scissors. How
many pairs are left?

Hannah and Katie each buy 6 felt pens.

How many do they buy in total?

Gemma buys 12 crayons and her

brother buys 9. How many crayons
do they buy altogether?

There are 16 pencils in the shop. Daniel

buys half of them. How many are left?

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 RESOURCE SHEET Y1 4

Solving Problems Step by Step

1. Read the question.

2. Underline any clue words.

3. Get a picture of the problem in your head.

4. Decide what calculation you need to do.

5. Do you need to do another calculation.

6. Read the question again – is your answer sensible?

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 RESOURCE SHEET Y1 5

5p 3p

6p 8p

4p 2p

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