Learning intention
- represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical and virtual materials and use counting or subitising strategies
Foundation Mathematics · AC9MFN05
Model adding and taking away
Use objects, drawings and numbers to show quantities joining or separating
Ready to project and teach
Learning goalsStart here
Australian CurriculumExact wording and teacher focus
Curriculum
- represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical and virtual materials and use counting or subitising strategies
Worked examplesWe do
Clean one-page examples
AC9MFN05 - AC9MFN05: Represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical...
Example 1
using role-play and materials to represent mathematical relationships in stories; for example, “Eight kangaroos were drinking at the river and 3 hopped away”; drawing a picture and using materials to represent the situation, discussing, and recording the result of the action with a numeral Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Example 2
role playing or actively engaging in situations that involve quantifying or comparing collections of items or simple money transactions; for example, “Do we have enough scissors for our group so that each person has their own pair?”; role-playing using $1 coins to pay for items in a shop where items are priced in whole dollars Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Example 3
representing situations expressed in First Nations Australians’ stories, such as “Tiddalick, the greedy frog”, that describe additive situations and their connections to Country/Place Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Example 4
representing addition and subtraction situations found in leaf games involving sets of objects used to tell stories, such as games from the Warlpiri Peoples of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
More examplesBuild understanding
Elaboration expansion and examples 1
- E1: using role-play and materials to represent mathematical relationships in stories; for example, “Eight kangaroos were drinking at the river and 3 hopped away”; drawing a picture and using materials to represent the situation, discussing, and recording the result of the action with a numeral Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Elaboration expansion and examples 2
- E2: role playing or actively engaging in situations that involve quantifying or comparing collections of items or simple money transactions; for example, “Do we have enough scissors for our group so that each person has their own pair?”; role-playing using $1 coins to pay for items in a shop where items are priced in whole dollars Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Elaboration expansion and examples 3
- E3: representing situations expressed in First Nations Australians’ stories, such as “Tiddalick, the greedy frog”, that describe additive situations and their connections to Country/Place Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
- E4: representing addition and subtraction situations found in leaf games involving sets of objects used to tell stories, such as games from the Warlpiri Peoples of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Elaboration expansion and examples 4
- Act the story before recording it: JOIN ● ● ● ● ● + ● ● 5 birds, then 2 more arrive. 7 SEPARATE ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● take away ● ● ● 8 kangaroos, 3 hop away. 5 DRAW Draw before → action → after. Then write the result with a numeral. Think aloud: Build or point to the model first, explain what each part shows, then state the answer.
- Match the model to the action: Story A: 4 blocks. 3 more are added. Story B: 7 blocks. 3 are removed. Ask: “Which story is joining? Which is separating? Show each with counters.”
Teach, ask and checkTopic-aligned
AC9MFN05 · AC9MFN05: Represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical...
Learning focus: represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical and virtual materials and use counting or subitising strategies
Model it: representing addition and subtraction situations found in leaf games involving sets of objects used to tell stories, such as games from the Warlpiri Peoples of Yuendumu in the Northern Territory Learning connection: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
Ask the learner: 3 bears are playing. 2 more join. How many now?
Look for: The learner can represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical and virtual materials and use counting or subitising strategies in a fresh example and explain the evidence or reasoning without copying the model.
If they are stuck: If the learner guesses or repeats a rule without evidence, return to the concrete or visual model and ask them to explain what each part shows.
Exit ticketReview and assess
Assessment-style questions and review hints 1
Questions
- 3 bears are playing. 2 more join. How many now?
- 8 counters are shown. 3 are removed. How many are left?
Review hints
- Main idea: Use objects, actions, drawings and numbers to represent what happens when quantities join or separate.
- Useful routine: Act → Show → Draw → Say → Record → Check
Assessment-style questions and review hints 2
Questions
- Is “2 more arrive” a joining or separating action?
Review hints
- join: put more objects into a group
- separate: take objects away from a group
Exit ticket
- Draw a story that shows 5 becoming 7.
Curriculum alignmentVictoria · NSW · International
Mapped skill: represent practical situations involving addition, subtraction and quantification with physical and virtual materials and use counting or subitising strategies
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9MFN05 · Foundation |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — Mathematics | VC2MFN05 · Foundation |
| New South Wales | NSW Mathematics K–10 Syllabus (2022) | MAE-CSQ-01 · Early Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Common Core State Standards for Mathematics | Kindergarten |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — Mathematics | Kindergarten |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — Mathematics | Year 1, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — Mathematics | Foundational Stage / Balvatika 3 |
Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.
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