Comparing Numbers
Comparing Numbers
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Comparing Numbers
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Learning goal
I can compare two numbers using >, < and =.
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What words come to mind when you compare numbers?
Use this to surface prior knowledge such as bigger, smaller, same, symbols, tens, or ones. Invite a few students to explain their words before teaching begins.
Mother Used Eggs
Yesterday: 20 eggs
Today: 15 eggs
We compare 20 and 15 to see which is greater.
The story context comes directly from the prompt. If needed, clarify that we are comparing the numbers of eggs used on two different days.
Compare the Tens First
20 has 2 tens
15 has 1 ten and 5 ones
Since 2 tens is more than 1 ten, 20 is greater than 15
Emphasise place value. Students do not need to compare the ones once they see that 2 tens is greater than 1 ten.
Greater Than
We say: 20 is greater than 15
We write: 20 > 15
Read the sentence aloud and point to the symbol. Keep the language exact: 'greater than'.
Which Day Had More?
Because 20 > 15, mother used more eggs yesterday than today.
Connect the comparison back to the real-life example so students see why comparing numbers matters.
When did mother use more eggs?
today
yesterday
same day
next day
Checks understanding of the story example: 20 eggs yesterday and 15 today, so yesterday is the correct answer.
Complete the comparison
Mother used 20 eggs yesterday and 15 eggs today. Since 2 tens is more than 1 ten, 20 is greater than 15. We write it as >.
This echoes the exact phrasing from the first teaching block and reinforces both place value and symbol use.
Comparison Symbols
Greater than and less than
Equal to
= means equal to
It shows the numbers are the same.
> means greater than
< means less than
Keep all three symbols together here so students can contrast their meanings clearly.
Example: Greater Than
32 is greater than 23
32 > 23
If helpful, mention that 32 has 3 tens while 23 has 2 tens.
Example: Less Than
24 is less than 56
24 < 56
Point out that 2 tens is less than 5 tens, so 24 is less than 56.
Example: Equal To
45 is equal to 45
45 = 45
Stress that equal means exactly the same number, not just close.
Which number sentence is correct?
45 < 45
24 = 56
32 > 23
20 < 15
Distractors come from the examples on the slides but use the wrong symbol, so students must match number meaning to symbol meaning.
Finish the symbols paragraph
The symbol > means greater than, and the symbol < means less than. The symbol = means equal to, so 45 = 45.
All blanks are load-bearing symbols from the second teaching block. Students connect symbol names to the worked examples.
What is one thing you learned today?
Expected reflection points: students may mention learning what >, <, and = mean, comparing tens first, or deciding which number is greater.
What helped you understand best?
Expected reflection points: students may say the examples, the egg story, or comparing tens helped them understand.
Glossary
compare - to look at two numbers to see which is greater, less, or equal
greater than - bigger in value than another number
less than - smaller in value than another number
equal to - the same value as another number
tens - groups of ten in a number
ones - single units in a number
symbol - a sign used in maths, such as >, <, or =
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