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Year Group

Year 4 (age 8-9)

Duration

40 minutes

Class Size

30 students

National Curriculum Reference

• Mathematics > Number – multiplication and division
• Pupils should be taught to:
  • recognise and use division facts for multiplication tables up to 12×12
  • divide numbers up to 3 digits by a 1-digit number using formal written methods and using a number line (White Rose scheme focus)
  • use place value, known and derived facts to divide mentally, including: dividing by 1, dividing by 10 and 100 to support with decimals
  • solve problems involving division, including those that require scaling by simple fractions and problems involving simple rates

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

• Understand how to use a number line to divide numbers by a one-digit number (NC 2014 – Year 4)
• Apply their understanding of place value to support division using a number line
• Explain their reasoning clearly and justify how they partition division steps on the number line
• Identify and correct common mistakes when dividing using a number line

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Success Criteria

I can:

• Use a number line to jump in equal parts that represent division
• Partition a division calculation into manageable steps on the number line
• Explain why the jumps I make show how the number is divided
• Check my answer by multiplying the divisor by the number of jumps
• Identify when a division using a number line has been done incorrectly and explain why

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Resources

• Whiteboard / visualiser
• Personal whiteboards and pens
• Large classroom number line (0 to 100 or beyond)
• Handouts with blank number lines for individual work
• Example division problems from the White Rose Maths Scheme (Summer Term – Block 1: Multiplication and Division)
• Counters or cubes for concrete support if needed

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Lesson Structure

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1. Retrieval Task (5 minutes)

Focus: Place value and number reasoning
Reasoning question based on Year 4 place value expectations:

“Here is the number 4,205. Explain what each digit represents in this number and reason what would happen to the value of the number if you:
a) swap the ‘2’ and ‘0’
b) add 100 to the number
c) subtract 1,000 from the number
How does place value help you understand what happens?”

Teacher checks answers aloud discussing understanding of thousands, hundreds, tens, and units.

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2. Introduction (7 minutes)

• Hook: Write on the board: "48 ÷ 4 = ?"
• Ask: “How could we find the answer using what we already know?” Accept variety of answers (e.g., repeated subtraction, sharing into groups, or arrays).
• Introduce today’s focus: Using a number line for division.
• Explain how jumping along a number line in equal steps can represent dividing into equal parts.
• Display a large number line and model dividing 48 ÷ 4 by making equal jumps of 4 until reaching 48, counting jumps.
• Ask pupils: “Why do you think counting the number of jumps tells us the answer?”
• Use questioning to clarify and ensure understanding:
  • “What does each jump represent?”
  • “If I take bigger or smaller jumps, how will that affect the answer?”

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3. Modelling and Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Whole-class modelling using the whiteboard / visualiser

Example 1: 36 ÷ 6

• Model counting jumps of 6 from 0 to 36.
• Ask: “How many jumps have we made? What’s our answer?”
• Emphasise using place value: “6 groups of 6 is 36. How can jumping help us confirm this?”

Example 2: 54 ÷ 9

• Demonstrate larger jumps in multiples of 9, e.g., jump three jumps of 9 = 27, so two times that gives 54.
• Show partitioning division into friendly numbers (e.g., 9×3 and 9×3 = 54) on the number line.
• Ask pupils: “How did splitting into steps help us?”

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Common misconceptions to address:

• Counting the numbers jumped over rather than the number of jumps made.
• Using jumps of incorrect size (e.g., jumping 4 instead of 6 in 36 ÷ 6).
• Mixing up multiplication and division directions on the number line.
• Assuming any number of jumps works without making equal size jumps.

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AfL questions during modelling:

• “Can you explain how I know when I have jumped the right amount each time?”
• “What is the relationship between the number of jumps and the quotient?”
• “What would happen if I made bigger jumps? Why wouldn’t that give the correct answer?”
• Misconception question: "If a pupil jumps from 0 to 4, then 8, then 12 to find 36 ÷ 4 but only counts how many numbers they land on (4, 8, 12), what did they do wrong? How would you explain this mistake?"

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4. Independent/Paired Activity: Progressive Number Line Division (10 minutes)

Handout with 3 tasks of increasing difficulty where pupils draw jumps on a number line:

1. Basic: 24 ÷ 3, 36 ÷ 6 (simple equal jumps)
2. Intermediate: 45 ÷ 5 (include partitions - e.g., jump 5×5 then 5×4 to total 45)
3. Challenging: 70 ÷ 7 or 81 ÷ 9 - pupils use partitioning jumps and explain in writing how they found the answer.

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5. Plenary & Reflection (3 minutes)

• Invite a few pupils to explain their thinking on the most challenging task.
• Ask:
  • “Why do we use a number line to help divide?”
  • “How does partitioning a number into smaller jumps help with bigger divisions?”
  • “What mistake would happen if you counted the numbers jumped on instead of jumps?”
• Review success criteria and ask pupils to give a thumbs up if they met each point.

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Questioning using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Level	Question Examples	Purpose
Remembering	“What is a number line?” “What does division mean?”	Recall facts/concepts
Understanding	“Can you explain why we jump equally on the number line?”	Show comprehension
Applying	“Can you use the number line to divide 48 by 8?”	Apply knowledge
Analysing	“Why might the method not work if jumps are unequal?”	Identify relationships/errors
Evaluating	“Which is easier: dividing by 4 on a number line or mental division? Why?”	Justify opinions
Creating	“Can you design your own division problem and solve it using a number line?”	Generate new ideas

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Additional Notes for Teachers

• Use concrete manipulatives if pupils struggle with abstract number lines; e.g., mark jumps with counters.
• Constantly monitor pupils’ explanations to assess depth of understanding and correct misconceptions early.
• Encourage pupils to verbalise reasoning aloud during pair work to build confidence in mathematical language.
• Reference White Rose Maths Scheme’s guidance on division strategies to supplement this lesson’s number line focus.

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This lesson plan offers a structured, interactive approach to deepen Year 4 pupils’ understanding of division using the number line, firmly rooted in national curriculum standards and White Rose Maths methodology.