Explain that on the planet Vuv there are 2 sorts of creatures. The Zios have 4 legs and the Zepts have 6 legs.

Space explorer, Nat, visited the planet and saw some Zios and Zepts. She hid from them, but she remebers she could see a mix of 14 legs. Ask students:

• How many Zios and how many Zepts did Nat see?

• How can we work it out?

Have students offer solutions, recording these on the whiteboard. Discuss why the only possible solution is that Nat saw 2 Zios and one Zept to total 14 legs. (Assessment: observations of students explaining their solutions (MAO-WM-01, MAE-RWN-01, MAE-RWN-02, MAE-CSQ-01, MAE-CSQ-02)

Nat kept exploring and saw a bigger group of Zios and Zepts. She hid from them again and counted 18 legs. Ask students:

• How many Zios and how many Zepts there were?

• Do you think there are any different possible combinations?

Highlight that mathematicians can solve the same problem in different ways. Explain that students will be working with a partner to find the combinations of Zios and Zepts that could have 18 legs.

• Provide pairs of students with ten-frames, counters and whiteboards to help them record their thinking.

Tell students that Nat has safely made it back from the planet Vuv. Ask the class:

• What were some of the ways you and your partner found solutions to the problem? (Prompt any students who used effective strategies to share these with the class).

• As you were working with your partner, did you discover a more useful strategy? What was it?

• Of all the strategies, which did you think was the most efficient? Why?

• Did you notice any patterns during this activity?

• Is there anything that you are still wondering about this activity?

As a class, compare the different ways the class used to solve the same problem. Highlight to students that mathematicians can solve the same problem in different ways.