Equal groups | Year 2 | Ascent Library

01 / LEARN

Understand the idea.

Equal means the same amount

Equal groups have the same number of objects in every group. For three bags of four shells, count the three bags separately from the four shells in each bag. Check every bag before calling the groups equal.

Count groups to find the total

Find the total by counting one whole group at a time. Three groups of four give $4, 8, 12$ , or $4 + 4 + 4 = 12$ . The number of groups tells you how many times to count the group size.

02 / WORKED EXAMPLES

See the method in action.

EXAMPLE 01

Read groups

How many counters are in these groups?

Worked solution

1
Count the boxes and the counters in each.
$3 groups of 4$
The picture shows three boxes with four counters in every box.
2
Join the first two groups.
$4 + 4 = 8$
Two boxes contribute eight counters.
3
Include the third group.
$8 + 4 = 12$
Every box is now counted, giving twelve counters in total.

Answer

12 counters.

EXAMPLE 02

Build equal groups

Make 4 equal groups with 2 buttons in each. How many buttons are needed?

Worked solution

1
Use two buttons for each group.
$2 + 2 + 2 + 2$
Four equal groups require four copies of two buttons.
2
Count the four groups.
$2, 4, 6, 8$
Each new group adds two, so four groups need eight buttons.

Answer

8 buttons.

03 / YOUR TURN

Try it yourself.

Check your understanding

There are 5 pairs of socks. How many socks?

Show answer & reasoning

10 socks.

A pair has two socks. Count two for each of the five pairs: $2, 4, 6, 8, 10$ . There are ten socks altogether.

Keep practising

6 worksheet questions

Open worksheet Worked solutions

Read the questions online

There are 3 plates with 2 apples on each. How many apples?
There are 4 cups with 3 pencils in each. How many pencils?
One box has 4 blocks and another has 5. Are the groups equal?
Draw 2 equal groups with 5 dots in each. How many dots altogether?
There are 6 children. Each needs 2 tickets. How many tickets are needed?
Luca has 3 groups of 4 beads. Ava has 4 groups of 3 beads. Do they have the same total?

Read the worked solutions

There are 3 plates with 2 apples on each. How many apples?
$2 + 2 + 2 = 6$ .
6 apples.
There are 4 cups with 3 pencils in each. How many pencils?
$3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12$ .
12 pencils.
One box has 4 blocks and another has 5. Are the groups equal?
4 and 5 are different amounts.
No.
Draw 2 equal groups with 5 dots in each. How many dots altogether?
$5 + 5 = 10$ .
10 dots, shown as two groups of five.
There are 6 children. Each needs 2 tickets. How many tickets are needed?
Count 2 six times: $2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12$ .
12 tickets.
Luca has 3 groups of 4 beads. Ava has 4 groups of 3 beads. Do they have the same total?
$4 + 4 + 4 = 12$ and $3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12$ .
Yes, both have 12 beads.

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Curriculum reference & lesson scope

Australian Curriculum v9 and SA Curriculum Mathematics

Equal groups; arrays; repeated addition; sharing/grouping; twos facts; doubling and halving.

Official curriculum source ↗

In this lesson

Understand the idea.

Equal means the same amount

Count groups to find the total

See the method in action.

Read groups

Count the boxes and the counters in each.

Join the first two groups.

Include the third group.

Build equal groups

Use two buttons for each group.

Count the four groups.

Try it yourself.

Check your understanding

Keep practising