Choose exam board for KS4 Computer Science (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 English
Choose exam board for KS4 French
Choose exam board for KS4 Geography
Choose exam board for KS4 German
Choose exam board for KS4 History
Choose tier for KS4 Maths
Choose exam board for KS4 Music
Choose exam board for KS4 Physical education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Religious education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Spanish

      Use patterns of odd and even numbers in the times tables to solve problems

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use patterns of odd and even numbers in the times tables to solve problems.

      Key learning points

      1. Knowing if the product will be odd or even can help to solve problems.
      2. If the times table is odd, the products will alternate between odd and even.
      3. If the times table is even, the products will all be even.

      Keywords

      • Odd - An odd number is any whole number that cannot be divided exactly by 2 The ones digit is 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9

      • Even - Any whole number that can be divided exactly by 2 is an even number. The ones digit is 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8

      Common misconception

      Pupils may not understand how to use patterns of odd and even numbers to make problem-solving easier.

      Show that recognising these patterns can help predict results and verify answers (e.g., an even × odd = even).

      Teacher tip

      Incorporate pattern recognition games where pupils predict products as odd or even before calculating (2 truths and 1 lie.)

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

      Loading...

      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      In a multiplication equation, if one factor is odd and one factor is even, the product will be .

      Correct Answer: even

      Q2.
      Which expressions will give an odd product?

      9 × 6
      Correct answer: 7 × 5
      Correct answer: 5 × 11
      6 × 10
      Correct answer: 7 × 9

      Q3.
      How can we find the product of 35?

      Multiply two even factors together.
      Correct answer: Multiply two odd factors together.
      Multiply an odd factor and an even factor together.

      Q4.
      Which of these times tables has all even products?

      Correct answer: 10 times table
      5 times table
      7 times table
      Correct answer: 8 times table
      Correct answer: 12 times table

      Q5.
      Which of these times tables have a pattern that results in the products alternating between odd and even?

      6 times table
      Correct answer: 7 times table
      Correct answer: 9 times table
      Correct answer: 11 times table
      12 times table

      Q6.
      True or false. The products in the 8 times tables will always be even.

      Correct answer: True
      False

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of these expressions will result in an odd product?

      Correct answer: 35 × 5
      27 × 8
      10 × 22
      Correct answer: 21 × 7
      Correct answer: 15 × 9

      Q2.
      Without calculating, will this equation produce an odd or even product? 23 × 6 =

      odd
      Correct answer: even

      Q3.
      When two odd factors are multiplied together, the product is .

      Correct Answer: odd

      Q4.
      Sofia thinks of a 2-digit number multiplied by a 1 digit number. Her product is even. What could the expression be?

      7 × 13
      Correct answer: 8 × 15
      9 × 21
      10 × 18

      Q5.
      True or false. All products with 52 as one factor will be even.

      Correct answer: True
      False

      Q6.
      Jacob says, “When I multiply an odd factor by an factor, the product will be even.” Complete the missing word.

      odd
      Correct answer: even

      To help you plan your 4 maths lesson on: Use patterns of odd and even numbers in the times tables to solve problems, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...