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'Mrs Beeswax' printed from https://nrich.maths.org/
Why do this
problem?
This activity is a nice context for getting pupils to explore
number bonds to $10$. It also provides opportunities for you to
highlight a systematic approach.
Possible approach
It would be good to introduce this pratically so that there
are three containers representing the pies and
ten counters to represent the coins. You
could start by asking a number of children to distribute the
counters in the tins to satisfy the rules.
Keep a record of the ways that they have found on the board and
then give learners time to work in pairs on more solutions.
At some stage, you may want to bring them together to ask how
they will know that they have all the different ways.
Take some suggestions from the class, and look out for those that
realise that a system or order will be necessary. You
could go on to complete the problem as a whole group, or give more
time to pairs.
Key questions
Tell me about the number of coins you have in each pie.
How are you thinking about this?
Do you think you've found all the possible ways?
Possible extension
Children could change the numbers involved, for example, by
finding the number of solutions for a different number of coins
and/or a different number of pies.
Possible support
Having counters available for all children to use will help
them access this problem. It may be appropriate to have
three circles drawn on a piece of paper to represent the pies so
that they can move the counters from circle to circle.