AC9M1N06 • Year 1 Maths
Equal sharing means each group gets the same amount. Equal grouping means making groups of the same size.
Equal sharing means each group gets the same amount. Equal grouping means making groups of the same size.
Learning routine: Read → Decide share/group → Model equally → Count → Check
The numbers may match, but the question is different.
If the groups are not equal, the model does not solve the problem.
Explain your thinking: Say what each part of the model represents, then explain why the answer or conclusion follows.
Use objects to show whether the unknown is the group size or the number of groups.
Twelve counters are shared equally onto three mats. How many go on each mat?
| Mat 1 | Mat 2 | Mat 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● ● ● ● | ● ● ● ● | ● ● ● ● |
Watch for this mistake: For ‘three mats’, make three groups first. For ‘three in each group’, place three objects together repeatedly instead.
Put 12 counters into groups of 3. How many groups can you make?
Here the size of each group is known.
4 groups, with 3 counters in each.
Ten counters are shared onto two mats as 6 and 4. Is the sharing equal? Repair it.
Move a counter without changing the total.
It is unequal. Move one counter from the group of 6 to the group of 4 to make 5 and 5.
These curriculum examples extend the central model into varied contexts. They are learning contexts, not extra definitions to memorise.
modelling problems involving repeated equal group situations, such as, “How many wheels are needed for 3 cars?”, using materials and drawing a picture to show what they did, and recording the results with a number
Try and explain: Four toy bicycles each need two wheels. How many wheels are needed altogether?
Eight wheels. Show four groups of two and count 2, 4, 6, 8.
modelling practical problems involving equal sharing situations; for example, sharing a set of dominoes between the 2 players in a game, and then counting or subitising to ensure they both have the same number of tiles
Try and explain: Share 14 counters equally between two players. How can you check the sharing?
Each receives seven. Count both shares to check that they are equal and that 7 + 7 accounts for all 14 counters.
modelling money problems involving equal sharing; for example, sorting coins from a money box according to their denominations, sharing the coins equally between 4 people, and using counting or subitising to ensure they have equal amounts of each denomination
Try and explain: Share eight $1 play coins equally among four children. How many coins and how much value does each receive?
Each receives two coins worth $2. Deal one to each child twice; all shares have the same value.
Share 15 counters among 3 plates. Count how many on each plate.
Model: 15 shared into 3
Make groups of 4 from 16 counters. Count the groups.
Model: 16 grouped by 4
Decide whether a story is sharing or grouping.
Model: How many in each? / How many groups?
Key idea: Equal sharing means each group gets the same amount. Equal grouping means making groups of the same size.
Return to the concept model if an answer is uncertain. Use the model to explain, not just to guess.
AC9M1N06: use mathematical modelling to solve practical problems involving equal sharing and grouping; represent the situations with diagrams, physical and virtual materials, and use calculation strategies to solve the problem
Use the Practice Sheet for written or hands-on work, Practice for supported feedback, and Test when the student is ready to demonstrate independent mastery.
The SkillrHub lesson remains the primary learning resource. This optional video reinforces the explanation; you can complete the lesson and practice without watching.
Before you watch:
Sesame Workshop — See equal sharing in a small, familiar situation.
As you watch: Do both friends finish with the same number? How can you tell?
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Try it: Use 8 counters as pretend biscuits. Share them between two toys, one at a time, and explain how you know the shares are equal.
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Mapped skill: use mathematical modelling to solve practical problems involving equal sharing and grouping; represent the situations with diagrams, physical and virtual materials, and use calculation strategies to solve the problem
These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9M1N06 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — Mathematics | VC2M1N06 · Level 1 |
| New South Wales | NSW Mathematics K–10 Syllabus (2022) | MA1-FG-01 · Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Common Core State Standards for Mathematics | Grade 1 |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — Mathematics | Grade 1 |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — Mathematics | Year 2, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — Mathematics | Class 1 |
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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Topic reference: AC9M1N06 — Equal Sharing and Grouping
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