Math lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes
Least common multiple of two or three numbers
Number sense
CCSS 6.NS.B.4England: KS3 NumberEngland: GCSE Foundation Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Least common multiple of two or three numbers.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Greatest common factor and least common multiple
Leads to: Choose GCF or LCM to solve a problem
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Greatest common factor and least common multiple). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Find the greatest common factor (highest common factor) of 21 and 6. → 3Prompt: List the factors of each number.
- Find the least common multiple (lowest common multiple) of 5 and 6. → 30Prompt: Count in 6s.
- Mei buys bread rolls in packs of 8 and veggie sausages in packs of 12. What is the smallest number of rolls Mei can buy so that there are exactly as many rolls as sausages? → 24Prompt: The number must be a multiple of both pack sizes.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Least common multiple of two or three numbers. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Find the LCM (lowest common multiple) of 4 and 2.
- Step 1: Multiples of 4: 4
- Step 2: LCM = 4
- Answer: 4
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Find the LCM (lowest common multiple) of 5 and 7. → 35Prompt: List multiples of 7.
- 18 = 2 × 3² and 30 = 2 × 3 × 5. Find the LCM of 18 and 30. → 90Prompt: Use every prime that appears in either factorisation.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- 20 = 2² × 5 and 30 = 2 × 3 × 5. Find the LCM of 20 and 30. → 60Prompt: Use every prime that appears in either factorisation.
- Find the LCM of 4, 5, 10. → 20Prompt: Find the LCM of the first two numbers.
Watch out for
- Reading 1,045 as one thousand four hundred five: point to each place and say its value.
- Thinking a longer number is always bigger, even with decimals (0.45 vs 0.5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Greatest common factor and least common multiple.
- Use concrete materials: place value chart.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Choose GCF or LCM to solve a problem.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder