Teacher support materials
Reasoning in the classroom activities Year 5
The details below provide brief descriptions of the content of the Year 5 materials. They are designed to give
teachers a starting point in deciding which activity most closely links to specific learning and teaching needs.
Many activities are challenging to categorise in this way as they cover several aspects of numeracy. We would
recommend, therefore, that teachers explore the activities in order to decide how appropriate the content and
delivery is for them and their learners.
The first activity within each set is in the same format as items within the National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) so
contains learner questions, markschemes and learner exemplars. Dancing fountains, Dinosaur footprints and
Double trouble also contain stimulus materials and a teachers’ script.
Some activities start with an item that has been taken from the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning). These
are clearly indicated.
Dancing fountains
Three activities that use real-life and fantasy contexts to encourage learners to use and develop their knowledge
of numbers and number patterns.
Blocks
Two activities in which learners use simple proportional reasoning to solve problems relating to the heights of
blocks, then create questions of their own for other groups to solve.
Selling lemonade
Three activities that encourage learners to see the application of numeracy within real-world contexts. Includes
working with money and with weight, and also the use of published data.
Winter trees
Three activities in which learners think about number patterns and how they continue, and produce reasoned
arguments to support their thinking.
Dinosaur footprints
Three activities that use the context of dinosaurs.
Hats
These two linked activities encourage learners to use their reasoning skills to solve simple problems.
Packing bottles
Two activities that focus on bottles. Learners work out the number of bottles that will fit into a box, then
undertake an investigation relating to the energy saved when glass bottles are recycled.
Double trouble
These three activities are based on the theme of ‘double’. Learners use the context of a simplified darts board
to work out different number combinations, then explore number relationships within a popular playground
clapping game, and investigate what happens when the rate of growth of an item doubles each day.
The first activity was included in the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) and contains stimulus materials
and a teachers’ script, test questions, a markscheme and learner exemplars.
Buying toys
Two activities that use the context of buying goods and require learners to work out the price of an item, then
use published information to compare prices of goods bought in 1986 and now.
The first activity was included in the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) and contains the test question,
markscheme and learner exemplars.
Bouncy castle
These two linked activities require learners to consider how much money can be taken in a defined time period
on a bouncy castle, then explore time intervals through completing an activity in exactly one minute.
The first activity was included in the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) and contains the test question,
markscheme and learner exemplars.
Five weights
In these two linked activities, learners reason how to balance weights on a scale, then solve problems relating to
numerical equivalence.
The first activity was included in the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) and contains the test question,
markscheme and learner exemplars.
Centipedes and caterpillars
Two linked activities which require learners to use their reasoning skills to work out when two conditions are
next met within a sequence, then use the context of the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly to explore
colour combinations and patterns.
The first activity was included in the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) and contains the test question,
markscheme and learner exemplars.
Zigs, Pobs and Wums
Two linked activities that entail learners using given information to solve a problem and also playing a game that
focuses on number relationships and multiples.
The first activity was included in the 2014 National Numeracy Tests (Reasoning) and contains the test question,
markscheme and learner exemplars.