Math lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes
Find factor pairs of a number
Number sense
CCSS 4.OA.B.4England: Y5 Multiplication and division
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Find factor pairs of a number.
- 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: Factors, multiples, primes
Leads to: Recognise multiples of a number; Prime or composite?; Common factors of two numbers
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Factors, multiples, primes). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which number is a factor of 20? (4 / 7 / 11 / 6) → 4Prompt: A factor divides the number exactly, with no remainder.
- Is 49 prime or composite? (Prime / Composite) → CompositePrompt: A prime number has exactly two factors: 1 and itself.
- What is the 9th multiple of 6? (The 1st multiple is 6.) → 54Prompt: Multiples of 6: 6, 12, 18, …
Hook · 5 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Find factor pairs of a number. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: 6 × __ = 60. Complete the factor pair.
- Step 1: 60 ÷ 6 = 10
- Step 2: 6 × 10 = 60
- Answer: 10
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- 2 × __ = 32. Complete the factor pair. → 16Prompt: What do you multiply 2 by to get 32?
- How many factors does 24 have? (Count 1 and 24 too.) → 8Prompt: List factor pairs: 1 × ?, 2 × ?, 3 × ? …
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Priya is arranging 36 photos in a rectangle with no gaps. Which layout works? (4 × 10 / 4 × 9 / 18 × 3 / 5 × 9) → 4 × 9Prompt: Rows × columns must equal 36.
- How many factors does 36 have? (Count 1 and 36 too.) → 9Prompt: List factor pairs: 1 × ?, 2 × ?, 3 × ? …
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: Factors, multiples, primes.
- 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: Recognise multiples of a number; Prime or composite?; Common factors of two numbers.
- 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-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder