Edward’s Team Packs

Edward and Annie were preparing packs for a school team challenge. Coach Pat gave them fifty-six fabric bands for seven teams. Each team needed the same number. Annie set out the empty packs along a bench. “Let’s work out the share before we start filling them.”

Edward tried a fact he knew. Seven groups of five made thirty-five, which was not enough. Seven groups of ten would make seventy, which was too many. Their answer had to be more than five and less than ten bands in each pack.

“What about eight?” Annie asked. Edward split eight into five and three. Seven fives made thirty-five, and seven threes made twenty-one. Thirty-five plus twenty-one made fifty-six. “Eight fits,” he said. “Seven teams can have eight bands each.”

They checked by thinking about the whole amount. Fifty-six shared equally between seven was eight. Seven packs of eight bands would use all fifty-six. Coach Pat listened while they explained. “Now check the packs as you fill them,” she said. They still had to put the right number into every pack.

Edward put bands into each pack while Annie checked the count. They closed a pack only when it was complete. The bands came in several colours, but the colour did not change the share. Each team still needed eight bands altogether.

Annie found a loose band beneath the bench. One pack must have been short. They reopened the packs and counted carefully until they found the one with seven. Edward added the loose band, then checked it again. Now every team had the same amount.

The team leaders came to collect their packs. Coach Pat explained the challenge route while Edward handed them out. Annie kept the spare empty bags together on the bench. There were no loose bands left, and each full pack had been checked.

Later, the teams returned from the field. Edward watched the leaders collect their bands back into the packs. “Working out eight was only part of it,” Annie said. Edward nodded. The multiplication had explained the share, and their careful counting had made it fair.