Number: Margot’s macaroni
View Sequence overviewOrganising a collection into equal groups simplifies counting, as it removes the need to count each item individually.
A number line is a useful tool for representing and comparing quantities.
Whole class
Margot’s macaroni PowerPoint
The class number line from the previous lesson
Each group
Bag or tub of small macaroni pieces. Ensure the macaroni pieces are small enough for students to grab a handful containing 100 pieces.
Coloured markers or pencils
Each student
My last handful Student sheet printed onto A4 paper
1 sticky note or small card
Task
Revise: We have learnt that we can quickly count our handfuls by organising the macaroni pieces into equal groups. This way, we don’t need to count one by one.
We have also learnt that a number line is a useful tool for showing the position of numbers and for comparing them. A number line doesn’t just tell us the order of numbers—it also shows the distance between them.
Display slides 8 and 9 of Margot’s macaroni PowerPoint and the class number line used in the previous lesson.
Ask:
- We want to grab 100 pieces of macaroni just like Grandma’s handful. Are we getting close to 100?
- Invite students to share their thinking, encouraging them to use the number line as evidence.
- How can we quickly check if our handful has 100 pieces?
- Allow students to share their strategies. As a class, consider which of the strategies allows us to “quickly check” if there are 100 pieces of macaroni.
Explain that they will now have one final attempt to grab exactly 100 pieces of macaroni.
Provide each student with a copy of My last handful Student sheet and access to a bag or tub of macaroni. Ask them to grab a handful of macaroni and count the pieces, recording their method using pictures (a photo or drawing) and/or words. Students should also write the total as a number, mark it on the number line on their sheet, and note how close their count was to 100.
Give each student a sticky note or small card to record the total number of macaroni pieces in their handful, and have them add this to the class number line.
Observe how students are counting and if they are employing the efficient strategies discussed in the previous lesson. Ideally students should be creating groups of twos, fives, or tens. Take note of the following:
- Are the groups equal in size?
- Prompt students to consider how to ensure each group has the same number.
- Are they using skip counting to find the total, or still counting by ones?
- Ask how the group structure could support more efficient counting.
- Are the groups organised to facilitate efficient counting?
- Arranging groups into subitisable or recognisable structures makes it easier to see at a glance how many items are in each group. Some pieces may not fit into a complete group. Prompt students to think about how to handle these extras.
Observe how the students are recording their count on the number line on their student sheet.
- Do the students count in ones to find their number?
- Prompt students to consider how to they might use the markings on the number line to help them find the total in their count.
- If only some numbers are marked on the number line, do students struggle to locate the correct numbers?
- Prompt students to use the marked numbers as reference points to estimate where their number should go.
Assessing students’ learning
This sequence has been guided by two learning goals:
- Organising a collection into equal groups simplifies counting as it removes the need to count each item individually.
- A number line is a useful tool for representing and comparing quantities.
My last handful Student sheet provides evidence of students’ understanding of these goals.
Consider:
- Do students organise a collection into equal-sized groups? Can they then use these groups to count their collection or are they still counting in ones?
- Can students accurately mark the total in their handful on the number line? Can they use the number line to compare their handful to Grandma’s handful?
This sequence has been guided by two learning goals:
- Organising a collection into equal groups simplifies counting as it removes the need to count each item individually.
- A number line is a useful tool for representing and comparing quantities.
My last handful Student sheet provides evidence of students’ understanding of these goals.
Consider:
- Do students organise a collection into equal-sized groups? Can they then use these groups to count their collection or are they still counting in ones?
- Can students accurately mark the total in their handful on the number line? Can they use the number line to compare their handful to Grandma’s handful?
Invite selected students to present how they counted their final handful and how close this handful was to 100.
Discuss:
- How were the counting strategies used similar and different?
- It is likely that the students used groups to count their macaroni. A difference might be the number of pieces of macaroni in each group.
- Which strategies allowed students to count efficiently?
- Consider the efficiency of strategies. Grouping a large collection allows for more efficient counting than counting in ones, however some ways of grouping are more efficient than others. For example, counting in fives requires fewer counts than counting in twos. Grouping in tens aligns with place value, making the total easier to see at a glance.
- Whose handful was closet to 100?
- Discuss the position of the students’ handfuls in relation to Grandma’s handful.
Conclude by revising the learning goals explored through the sequence.
Revise:
- We have learnt that we can quickly count our handfuls by organising the macaroni pieces into equal groups.
- Discuss the counting strategies students used and agree on which ones were the most efficient. Highlight how grouping in 10s or 5s helps us to ‘quickly check’ the size of a handful.
- We have also learnt that a number line is a useful tool for showing the position of numbers and for making comparisons.
- Revisit the class number line, considering the position of different handfuls in relation to each other and to Grandma’s handful.
As a class, write a short note to Grandma. Explain the strategies you will use to grab a handful with 100 macaroni pieces, and how you will quickly check if your handful really has 100.