Maths
Bar models: books for the class library
For Year 3 pupils, compare book quantities with a labelled bar model, then calculate a total and update it after books are added and lent.
Compare the story and fact books using bars with the same starting point. The missing difference stays for pupils.
Read the complete materialRead the material
For Year 3 pupils, compare book quantities with a labelled bar model, then calculate a total and update it after books are added and lent.
Pupil worksheet. Use the preview for diagrams and layout.
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Bar models: books for the class library Pupil activity Audience: Year 3 pupils Compare book quantities with a bar model, calculate the total and remaining books, and explain how each step changes the library count. Problem The class library has 28 story books and 15 fact books. How many more story books are there? How many books are there altogether? The teacher then adds 9 books and lends 12 to another class. How many remain? Compare the quantities Story 15 ? total 28 Fact 15 The bars share a starting point. The extra story-book segment is the comparison. Difference: 28 − 15 = ______ books. Starting total: 28 + 15 = ______ books. Update the total 1. Starting total: ________ 2. Add 9 new books: ________ 3. Subtract 12 lent books: ________ 4. Check by adding 12 back: ________ Pupil activity Page 1 of 1
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Bar models: books for the class library Teacher key and guidance supporting this exact edition Teacher check 28 − 15 = 13 more story books. 28 + 15 = 43. Then 43 + 9 = 52 and 52 − 12 = 40. The check is 40 + 12 = 52. Teacher companion Page 1 of 1
A teaching sequence
Compare book quantities with a bar model, calculate the total and remaining books, and explain how each step changes the library count.
Compare the story and fact books using bars with the same starting point. The missing difference stays for pupils.
Read the complete materialCompare the book bars
Use the comparison bars to find how many more story books there are than fact books.
What does the extra story-book segment represent?
Find the starting total
Add 28 and 15 to find the starting total.
Which two quantities must be combined before the books change?
Update the library count
Add 9 new books, then subtract the 12 lent books.
Why do the nine new books add and the twelve lent books subtract?
Reverse the loan to check
Write the final count and check by adding 12 back.
Does adding twelve back recover the total before the loan?
Before you teach
Look for the thinking behind an answer, choose the support your class needs and leave room for an independent response.
What to look for
The comparison is 28 − 15 = 13 books; the starting total is 43 and 40 remain after adding 9 and lending 12. Ask, “Which bar segment shows the difference?”
Give a little support
Pre-draw the first bar with 28 marked and let pupils explain the next step orally.
Take the idea further
Change the number borrowed and ask how many books must be returned to reach a total of 45.
Things to keep in mind
These are original practice numbers. The drawing should represent the story rather than copy a fixed layout.
Keep the idea. Make it yours.
Bring your topic, learning goal and class context to PLAI™, then review what you create.
Ideas to try with your class
Sample teaching perspectives on what to try, what to adapt and what to watch for.
Meet The Creators
Meet a creator whose teaching interests connect with this template.
Calm Table
The one-page problem separates three operations: compare 28 story books with 15 fact books, find the combined total, then add nine and subtract twelve. The final “add 12 back” step checks the updated library count.
Book and Biscuit
For Year 3, the comparison bar shares a starting point and highlights the extra story-book segment. The later update table makes the sequence of a new delivery and a loan explicit rather than blending all quantities into one calculation.
Glue Stick Club
Ask pupils to mark the 15-book shared portion before labelling the difference. Keeping the starting total, addition and loan in separate rows can reduce working-memory load and make it easier to locate an error.
Reread Reminder
These are fictional class-library quantities, not an inventory. A pupil should explain which calculation answers “how many more” and which gives the total; the final check validates the update arithmetic, not a real collection.