Primary 5 Maths: Simple Equations — Tutor Lesson Plan (balance, two steps, checking)

2026-10-27

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary maths

The difficulty is not arithmetic, it is doing the same thing to both sides. One balance diagram fixes the habit of changing only one side.

Objectives — the student can form an equation with x, solve one-step and two-step equations by doing the same operation to both sides, and check the answer by substitution.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Four operations	17 − 5, 6 × 7, 42 ÷ 6	12, 42, 7
Letters for numbers	Write “a number plus 3”	n + 3
Balance idea	Add a weight to both pans	It stays balanced

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Balance	Draw a balance for x + 3 = 8	Say x is 5
5-15 min	One step	Solve x + 7 = 15 on both sides	Copy each line
15-25 min	Multiplication	Solve 3x = 21	Do 4x = 36
25-35 min	Two steps	Solve 2x + 5 = 17	Do 3x − 4 = 17
35-42 min	Word problem	Turn “5 given away, 12 left” into an equation	Write their own equation
42-45 min	Exit check	Three questions marked at once	Finish and check

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: The balance: same thing on both sides

x + 3 = 8 is a balance with x and three units on the left, eight on the right.
Take three from both sides and it stays balanced: x = 5.

Student says “subtract 3 from both sides”, not “move it over”.

Scene 2: Two steps: clear the addition first

2x + 5 = 17: subtract 5 from both sides, 2x = 12; then divide both sides by 2, x = 6.
Order matters: clear what is next to x before dividing.

Student checks 2 × 6 + 5 = 17.

Scene 3: Word problems: define x first

“I had x stamps, gave 5 away, 12 left” becomes x − 5 = 12, so x = 17.
Write “let x be …” before the equation, always.

Note: an answer without a stated x loses method marks.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Addition equation	x + 7 = 15	Subtract 7 from both sides	x = 8
Multiplication equation	3x = 21	Divide both sides by 3	x = 7
Two-step equation	2x + 5 = 17	Subtract 5, then divide by 2	x = 6
Word problem	x stamps, 5 given away, 12 left	x − 5 = 12	x = 17

Sanity check (teach this): Substitute the answer back: if the original statement is not true, one side was changed and not the other.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
x − 9 = 14	x = 23	Adding 9 to both sides
4x = 36	x = 9	Dividing both sides by 4
5x − 3 = 22	x = 5	Order of the two steps

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Only one side changed	x + 7 = 15 becomes x = 15 + 7	Do the same to both sides.
Wrong order	dividing before clearing +5	Clear the addition first, divide last.
No check	stops at the answer	Substitute and check; it takes thirty seconds.
x not defined	writes 12 + 5 straight away	Start with “let x be …”.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 5 first-term paper — Section D, questions 1 to 4
Primary 5 second-term paper — Section D, questions 4 to 6

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
x + 12 = 30	x = 18	All right: move to percentages
6x = 54	x = 9	One wrong: re-teach the balance
3x + 4 = 25	x = 7	Two wrong: repeat scene 1

09 Tutor FAQ

Should you teach “change the sign when moving”?

Not in Primary 5. Doing the same to both sides explains why; moving terms is a slogan students misremember.

Students are fast but careless.

Require every line and a substitution check; the marks are for the method.

How many word problems?

One is enough here; forming equations is developed later.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.