Mathematics · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Sharing Equally

Active learning turns abstract sharing into tangible actions, helping Year 1 students grasp division through movement, talk, and touch. Concrete manipulatives make equal groups visible, reducing confusion about fairness and group size.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: Mathematics - Multiplication and Division

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Numbered Heads Together
• 20 min · Pairs

Pairs: Counter Share Challenge

Pairs receive 12 counters and divide them into 2, 3, or 4 equal groups. They record each division with drawings and discuss why some numbers work better. Partners check each other's work for fairness.

Explain how to ensure everyone gets a fair share.

Facilitation Tip

During Pair Counter Share Challenge, circulate and ask each pair, 'How do you know both dolls have the same amount?' to press for justification.

What to look for

Provide students with 10 counters and ask them to show how to share them equally between 2 dolls. On the back, ask them to draw a picture of their sharing and write one sentence about why it is fair.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Numbered Heads Together
• 30 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Role-Play Picnic

Groups of 4 role-play a picnic with 16 pretend sandwiches to share equally. They try different group sizes, note remainders, and agree on fair methods. Present one solution to the class.

Construct a scenario where sharing equally is important.

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play Picnic, hand out items first then ask groups to decide who divides and who checks fairness before serving.

What to look for

Hold up a set of 6 cubes. Ask: 'If I want to share these equally among 3 friends, how many cubes does each friend get?' Observe student responses and listen for their reasoning.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Numbered Heads Together
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Floor Mat Division

Use a large floor mat marked with sharing circles. The class shares 20 teddies into equal groups around the mat, with volunteers demonstrating steps. Everyone predicts and verifies equality.

Compare sharing with grouping and identify their differences.

Facilitation Tip

During Floor Mat Division, model stepping back after placing items to let students verbalize the count in each row.

What to look for

Present a scenario: 'Sarah has 15 stickers and wants to give them to her 3 friends. How can she make sure each friend gets the same number of stickers?' Facilitate a class discussion where students explain their strategies for sharing.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 04

• Numbered Heads Together
• 15 min · Individual

Individual: Draw Fair Shares

Each child draws 10 apples and shares them into 2 or 5 groups, labelling amounts. They create a word problem for their drawing and swap with a neighbour to solve.

Explain how to ensure everyone gets a fair share.

Facilitation Tip

During Draw Fair Shares, remind students to label groups with numbers or names to make their thinking visible.

What to look for

Provide students with 10 counters and ask them to show how to share them equally between 2 dolls. On the back, ask them to draw a picture of their sharing and write one sentence about why it is fair.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers start with physical actions—sorting, moving, and distributing—before transitioning to drawings and symbols. Avoid rushing to written recording; let children internalize the concept through repeated, varied practice. Research shows that alternating concrete, pictorial, and abstract stages strengthens long-term understanding.

By the end of these activities, children will confidently partition sets into 2, 5, or 10 equal shares using objects or drawings. They will explain their method, compare sharing with grouping, and recognize when totals divide evenly.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Pairs Counter Share Challenge, watch for students handing out one counter at a time alternately without checking the final count.

  Prompt the pair to recount each doll’s pile together, then ask, 'What do you notice about the two groups? Are they the same size?'

• During Role-Play Picnic, watch for students treating sharing and grouping as the same process and distributing items without fixing the group size first.

  Pause the group and ask, 'How many friends are sharing today?' Have them place that many plates before dividing the biscuits, so the group size is clearly fixed.

• During Draw Fair Shares, watch for students ignoring remainders and insisting sharing is impossible when totals don’t divide evenly.

  Provide an example with 7 sweets and 3 friends, then ask students to draw or cross out extras and explain what happens to the leftovers.

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Methods used in this brief

• Numbered Heads Together