Inverse Problem Solving Cards - an activity for Y5 or Y6

A ready to go set of ten multi-step worded questions (some like mini investigations) that require pupils to use their knowledge of inverse operations. This activity took a whole lesson with a Year 6 class for me. Differentiated questions: yellow cards are Level 4 questions, blue cards are Level 5 questions and green cards are Level 6 questions.

Ideas for use:

• Print on card, cut up and distribute around the class for pupils to solve in groups. Place the card on a large sheet of sugar paper and jot workings around the outside. Share strategies as a class.
• Whisper Maths activity: pupils have some time to consider the question individually first and then snowball out into pairs and then groups.
• Set up as a competition, with tables coming to the front for the next card once they have provided the correct solution.
• Early finishers activity.
• Print cards on paper, cut up and stick one (at the appropriate level) in each child’s book for them to jot around and solve individually.
• Guided intervention activity.

The resource is provided in PDF as well as an editable Word document and the answers are included.

Many thanks for looking.