L4 Spring Division using Concrete Objects

In this hands-on Year 1 Working Without Worksheets lesson, children are introduced to the concept of division as sharing equally. Building on their understanding of equal groups from multiplication, pupils explore what it means to divide a total amount fairly between groups using concrete resources such as counters, cubes, or small objects. The lesson begins with a practical starter using a pizza-sharing example, helping children see that division is all about fairness and equality. The teacher demonstrates that if one person gets a bigger slice, it is not shared equally. This leads to the key concept that division means sharing into equal parts. During the teaching input, children explore how dividing relates to multiplication — for example, if 3 groups of 4 make 12, then 12 shared equally into 3 groups gives 4 in each. Using counters or cubes, children practise sharing different totals into equal groups and discover that sometimes there may be a remainder when numbers do not divide equally. In the main activity, children work practically in small groups using counting resources and plates to share objects equally. Through teacher-led challenges such as “Share 15 into 3 equal groups,” they develop fluency in reasoning about equal sharing, spotting when a number cannot be divided equally, and understanding the idea of a ‘left over’ amount. The plenary reinforces the importance of equality, using the example of Leanna’s sweets to address misconceptions and clarify how to check that each group has the same number. This fun, interactive lesson lays strong foundations for future understanding of division and fractions. What’s Included in the Pack ✔ Full lesson plan with objectives, teaching notes, and plenary guidance ✔ Animated teaching slides with visual sharing examples ✔ Practical group activity using real objects and plates ✔ Discussion questions for reasoning and mastery ✔ Common misconceptions and teacher prompts ✔ Fully aligned with Working Without Worksheet