New
New
Year 6
Use knowledge of balancing equations to solve problems
I can use knowledge of balancing equations to solve problems
New
New
Year 6
Use knowledge of balancing equations to solve problems
I can use knowledge of balancing equations to solve problems
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Knowledge of addition and subtraction can be used to solve problems involving comparing balancing expressions.
- Expressions can be formed from data in tables and graphs, and used to make comparisons.
- Expressions can be formed from data presented in tables and graphs and can be used to make comparisons.
Keywords
Expression - An expression contains one or more terms or numbers, where each term or number is separated by an operator but an expression does not have an equals sign.
Common misconception
Difference can represent a rise or fall in values so the calculation can have a positive or negative answer. Difference as change is always expressed as a positive value.
Focus on finding equivalent changes in the data presented and ensure that pupils see that the change is a positive value that can be qualified with describing it as a rise or a fall, depending on the situation.
You may want to alter the sets of data used so that they are relevant to the context of your pupils. Allow them time to explore the data before focusing in on the questions so that they are clear about what it is representing. Encourage them to describe what the equations represent in the data.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Use the correct inequality symbol to make this correct: 16.75 19.05
Q2.
Which of the following expressions has the same difference as 10 − 5.5? Can you reason without calculating?
11 − 5
10 − 5
Q3.
What is 5.35 when rounded to the nearest whole number?
Q4.
Use an efficient strategy to calculate 45.85 + 29.96 =
Q5.
Use an efficient strategy to calculate 67,895 − 65,460 =
Q6.
Izzy begins with 800 g of plasticine and removes 75 g. Jun begins with 980 g of plasticine and removes an unknown amount. Now they have the same mass of plasticine. How much did Jun remove? g
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which symbol needs to go between this pair of expressions?
>
<
Q2.
Which symbol needs to go between this pair of expressions?
<
=
Q3.
What is the smallest possible value for the missing number in this equation?
Q4.
What is the difference in rainfall between June and July in Sydney? Give your answer using the correct unit of measure.
Q5.
Which of these statements represents comparing the wettest and driest months in Sydney and Manchester?
95 − 125 > 95 − 70
125 − 95 > 60 − 55
125 + 60 > 95 + 55
Q6.
Match the compared expressions.
90 − 55
70 − 60
55 + 60