I want the plan to focus on the following lesson plan:A story about fairness and unfairness Pupils consider the meaning of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan Pupils think about the things anyone can do to show that they care, and the idea that leaving things undone or unsaid is missing a chance to care. Who cares? Who should care? Is it fair if everyone cares for everyone? • Talk to the children about next door neighbours and about being a good neighbour. What does it mean? Why do people who live close need to care for each other? What can we do to be good neighbours? Make a little list, and rank the ideas for ‘best idea for neighbourliness’. • Tell Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan, in an exciting way. (You can find it in the Bible in Luke 10). Ask children if they were acting in a play of this story, who would they like to be? What part would they choose? Ask why Jesus made up this story. How did the Samaritan show he cared? Why did he care? Who in the story only cared for themselves? Notice with the children that the robbers were ’baddies’ but the people who passed by were almost as bad! Who do the children thin is a neighbour? • Act out a classroom version of this story, using a familiar context. E.g. one pupil has spilt milk on floor, 2 pupils have excuses for not helping to clear up (on the way to play / too busy with their own work / don’t know where cloth is). The third child is different – and is not expected to help (older / from another class / opposite sex / EAL?). S/he helps. Pupils think about who helped and how. Talk about what this story is about. What could people in the play have done differently? • Tell children that in Jesus’ day there was racism against Samaritans – and Jesus showed anyone can be a hero. Do they agree? Who gets treated badly and unfairly in our communities today? Do the children know what to do if someone is racist?

Create a success criteria for this lesson Create a high engaging introduction and a range of questioning for this maths lesson Identify common misconceptions and areas of difficulty for Understanding how to solve 2 step addition and subtractions problems Create use of targeted whole class questions- Questions shouldn't just ask for the correct answer they should require pupils to explain their thinking justifying their reasoning. (Use Bloom's taxonomy to help create questions beyond basic thinking and encourage deeper thinking) Create an example for children to copy into books and use to support work

Include AfL points throughout teaching and modelling stage Modelling  

Plan a task that gradually increases in complexity, e.g. by adding more elements pupils need to think about or having them apply what they have been taught to different situations.

plenary

Overview

Age group: Year 4 (8–9 years old)
Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 30 pupils
Subject: Maths (with cross-curricular link to PSHE/Religious Education)
National Curriculum focus:

Mathematics: Number - Addition and Subtraction
Develop fluency in solving problems involving addition and subtraction, including two-step problems.
Reasoning and problem-solving activities supporting the mastery of these concepts.

Key Curriculum references:

Mathematics Programme of Study (Years 3 and 4):
- Solve addition and subtraction two-step problems in contexts, deciding which operations and methods to use and why.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

Mathematics:
- Solve two-step addition and subtraction word problems using appropriate strategies and explain their reasoning clearly.
- Justify the choice of operation for each step in the problem.
PSHE/RE cross-curricular purpose:
- Reflect on the concept of fairness and care using the parable of the Good Samaritan as a context.
- Understand how fairness and kindness relate to everyday decisions and actions (linking to mathematical problem-solving in real-life contexts).
Communication:
- Use mathematical vocabulary precisely and confidently in discussion and written work.
- Explain their ideas about fairness and neighbourliness in group conversations.

Success Criteria

Pupils will:

Correctly identify which operation(s) to use when solving multi-step problems.
Use clear written methods for addition and subtraction in their work.
Explain why they used those operations and what the answer represents in the context of the problem.
Show understanding of fairness and neighbourliness through participation in discussion and role play.
Respond thoughtfully to questions about care, fairness, and community.

Resources

Whiteboard and marker
Story script / simplified Bible excerpt of the Good Samaritan
Role-play props (optional: cloth, “milk carton” labelled paper)
Maths exercise sheets (two-step addition and subtraction word problems)
Large paper for neighbourliness ideas and ranking
Pencils, rulers, erasers
Maths journals or lined exercise books

Lesson Structure

1. Engaging Introduction (10 minutes)

Objective: Create a meaningful context to connect maths with fairness and kindness.

Starter question:
“Who in your neighbourhood looks out for you? What does it mean to be a good neighbour?”
Take several short responses, record them visibly (either on the board or large paper).
Class brainstorming:
Create a list of ways to show care to neighbours (e.g., helping with chores, sharing toys, being kind).
Pupils then rank these ideas from “best” to “less good” neighbourliness with quick thumbs up/middle/down voting or placing sticky notes.
Connect to story:
Introduce Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in an exciting way (storytelling tone):
- Explain the context simply (who Samaritans were, the concept of neighbour).
- Ask, “Why do you think Jesus told this story? What is fairness and care in the story?”
Explanatory questioning for engagement:
- “Why did the Samaritan choose to help?”
- “Who didn’t help? Why do you think they acted that way?”
- “Who do you think is a true neighbour in the story?”

2. Modelling and Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Mathematical focus: solving two-step addition and subtraction problems with contextual links

Present an example word problem related to fairness and community that requires two steps, e.g.:
“A neighbour gave 35 apples to help a family. Later, 18 apples were shared with another family nearby. How many apples are left?”
Solve the problem step-by-step on the whiteboard, modelling reasoning aloud:
- Identify the question.
- Decide which operation to use first and why.
- Calculate the first step (subtract apples shared).
- Re-read to see if more is needed; proceed to the second step (add or subtract).
- Show how to write the working out clearly and explain the answer’s meaning in context.

Targeted Whole-Class Questioning using Bloom’s taxonomy:

Remembering: “What operations did we use in this problem?”
Understanding: “Why did we subtract the apples shared instead of adding?”
Applying: “If we swapped the numbers, how does that change the problem?”
Analyzing: “How did you know your answer made sense?”
Evaluating: “Was there another way to solve this? Which method is best?”
Creating: “Can you write your own two-step problem about helping a neighbour?”

AFL check 1:

Ask a pupil to explain their process aloud or write a quick exit ticket with steps used.

3. Independent/Group Task (12 minutes)

Task: Pupils solve a set of 3 two-step word problems increasing in complexity:

Simple two-step addition + subtraction (numbers < 100).
Two-step problem involving subtraction then addition, with a community/care theme (e.g., sharing, giving, collecting).
A contextual problem involving reasoning about fairness (e.g., sharing resources fairly).

Challenge: Pupils explain in sentences how they solved the problem.

4. Role Play and Discussion (5 minutes)

Act out a classroom version of the Good Samaritan story adapted:
“One pupil spills milk on the floor. Two pupils make excuses not to help. A third pupil, unexpected, helps clear it up.”
Discuss who showed kindness, fairness, and neighbourliness; relate it back to maths problem-solving — how sometimes we must look beyond easy answers and care about others.

5. Plenary (3 minutes)

Recap success criteria by asking pupils:
“How do you know your answer is right?”
“Who showed fairness or care in the story and in our maths problems?”
Pose a final deep question:
“Is it fair if everyone cares for everyone? Why or why not?”
Quick self-assessment: Pupils hold up a coloured card for how confident they feel solving two-step problems today.

Common Misconceptions and Difficulties

Confusing when to add or subtract in word problems.
Forgetting to complete both steps or misinterpreting the order.
Not reading the problem carefully enough to identify quantities and operations.
Writing incomplete or unclear workings out.
Struggling to link the maths problem to the real-life context or ethical discussion.

Example for Pupils (to copy in books)

Good Samaritan Apples
A neighbour has 50 apples. They give 23 apples to a family in need. Later, they buy 15 more apples.

How many apples do they have after giving away the first 23?
How many apples do they have after buying 15 more?

Step 1: 50 – 23 = 27 apples left
Step 2: 27 + 15 = 42 apples now
Answer: The neighbour has 42 apples after helping and buying more.

Explain:
I subtracted first because apples were given away. Then I added because more were bought later.

Teacher Tips for WOW Impact

Use expressive storytelling with voices to bring the Good Samaritan story to life — act out parts yourself or with pupils.
Encourage pupils to link maths to real-life kindness — emphasise that decisions in maths problems can reflect fairness in life.
Use physical props (fake apples, milk carton) to make problems tangible.
Challenge pupils to create their own two-step problems about caring and fairness to share with the class or friends.
Use “think-pair-share” regularly to deepen reasoning and verbal explanation skills.

This plan builds strong connections between maths problem-solving and key social-emotional themes from the National Curriculum, supporting holistic learning in Year 4.

Fairness and Care

Teaching Instructions