Mathematic ReasoningUsing and Drawing

Tables
NOVEMBER 2016
YEARS 5 AND 6

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems

A table makes it easy to see what information

you have and what is missing

A complete table can show patterns

Using a table can reduce mistakes

Deciding how many columns and rows a table

should have is the first part of any problem
involving tables.

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Deciding the number of columns

How many columns would you have for this

problem?

There are 18 animals at the farm. Some are

chickens and others are cows. Seventy legs are
visible. How many of each animal can be seen?

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Leaving Gaps in Tables
Lisa

Sometimes a pattern becomes

obvious after some of the data 8
has been input, so we can
9
leave some gaps in the
10
pattern.
Mrs Shappy is 32 years old
and her daughter Lisa is 8
years old. How old will Lisa be
when she is half as old as her
mother?

Mrs
Shappy
32
33
34

11

35

12

36

13

37

24

48

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Drawing Tables to Calculate Multiples

When calculating multiples, patterns quickly

emerge.

Research shows three out of ten people are

blond. How many blonds will be found in 1000
people?
Blond

Number of People

10

30

100

300

1000

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Drawing Tables to Calculate
Multiples

When calculating multiples,

patterns quickly emerge.
Five out of 12 pupils in the
school are boys. If there are
768 children, how many are
girls?

Girls

Boys

Total

12

14

10

24

28

20

48

56

40

96

112

80

192

224

160

384

448

320

768

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Following Patterns

Data can be listed in a table and

then examined to see if there is
a pattern.
A child is playing a game of
basketball by himself in the
park. At regular intervals other
groups arrive. From each new
group, two children join in. How
many groups will have appeared
by the time there are 64 groups?

Group
s

Peopl
e

Total

16

25

11

36

13

49

15

64

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Example One- Over To You
We are going to work together on a few examples
of whole investigations. Work in pairs, groups at
each stage to think through the talking points.
A group of pupils are learning a long poem to
perform at the school concert. Each week they are
taught a certain number of verses. The first week
they are taught one verse, and by the end of the
second week, they know three verses. At the end
of the third, they know six verses. How many
verses will they know after twelve weeks?

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Example One- Over To You

What do we know?

What do we want to know?

What will our table look like?

Is this the quickest way or is there a quicker

method/strategy?

Extension: what would happen if there was a

break every two weeks and no new verses were
learnt?

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Example Two- Over To You
Here comes another example:
We are running a fund raising concert in our
school hall. The first member of the audience
comes in on her own, then a group of three friends
come in together. Each time a group of people
arrives there are two more than in the previous
group. How many will arrive in the twentieth (20th)
group?

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Example Two- Over To You

What do we know?

What do we want to know?

What will our table look like?

Is this the quickest way or is there a quicker

method/strategy?

Extension: what would happen if there were three

more people arriving than the previous group?

WALT: Draw a table to solve

mathematical problems
Example Three- Over To You
One last example:
How many different ways can you change a 1
coin into 50p, 20p and 10p coins?
(Use logic and a systematic approach)
Clue:

50p

20p

10p