Problem-Solving Investigation: Column addition (4- and 5-digit numbers). (Year 5 Add & Sub)

Year 5 Problem-Solving Investigations: Addition and Subtraction

These in-depth maths investigations are open-ended problem solving activities for Year 5 children. **In-depth Investigation: Exasperating 80 Grand** Children use all of the digits 0 to 9 once only to create pairs of five-digit numbers, with a total as close to 80,000 as possible. **In-depth Investigation: Adding Odd and Even Amounts** Children create two amounts of money – one with even digits, one with odd digits – and add these. They look for patterns of even/odd in the totals. **In-depth Investigation: Persistent Answers** Children subtract numbers with consecutive digits from numbers with identical digits and record the different possible answers. **In-depth Investigation: Magic Star Additions** Children explore addition patterns on a star derived from a simple magic star. They use mental or written addition to add 4-digit numbers. **In-depth Investigation: Mobile Differences** Children use trial and improvement to find the largest and smallest possible differences using numbers selected to given criteria. **In-depth Investigation: Durer’s Magic Square** Children complete ‘Durer’s Magic Square’, then use it to create 2- or 3-digit numbers and find the difference between different pairs. They identify patterns. These investigations will develop maths meta-skills, support open-ended questioning and logical reasoning, and enable children to learn to think mathematically and articulate mathematical ideas. These problem-solving investigations come from our [Year 5 Maths Blocks](https://www.hamilton-trust.org.uk/maths/year-5-maths/). Each Hamilton maths block contains a complete set of planning and resources to teach a term’s worth of objectives for one of the National Curriculum for England’s maths areas.