PrimaryMathsRatio10–15 min
Sweet Share
Share a fixed number of sweets between character jars. Find one equal part, then scale two-part and three-part ratios.
The experiment opens when it comes into view.
Theory and model assumptions
For ratio a:b:c and total T, one part is T/(a+b+c); the shares are Ta/(a+b+c), Tb/(a+b+c), Tc/(a+b+c). Two-person challenges omit c. Every sweet is an identical indivisible counter. Generated totals are multiples of the sum of the parts, so no fractional sweets are needed. Exact integer counts determine success.
Teacher guidance
Use equal-sized sweets as discrete counters. Ask learners to identify one part before calculating each share. Later challenges use larger totals and three-part ratios; totals are chosen to produce whole sweets.
Expected time: 10–15 minutes.