MATHEMATICS MODULE

Nurfaradilla Mohamad Nasri

Nurfarahin Mohamad Nasri
Mohamad Asyraf Abd Talib
 Bar Modelling

The bar model method uses an important mathematics mastery concept;

the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) approach. There are many evidence
that supports the great benefits of bar model method in problem-solving
mathematical questions.

Benefits of bar modelling:

provides students with a powerful tool for solving word problems
covers many maths topics such as fractions, percentages, ratios,
decimals and more
allows students to understand complex formulas (for example,
algebra) on an intuitive, conceptual level
creates a strong understanding of what is actually happening when
applying or working with formulas

The example below explains the basic of how bar modelling progresses
through the three basic steps.
Step 1 : Explore concrete objects
Exploring concrete objects can be done through handling real objects,
modelling with real objects and modelling with other objects or pictures.
The example below shows exploring concrete objects using other objects
or pictures.
Let’s use to help us.

20

8 ?

Concrete - modelling with others

object and pictures

What if Sam gives some 8 cupcakes?

20 - 8 =
Sam bakes 20 cupcakes.
What if he gives some away? Then, Sam would have cupcakes left?

1
Step 2 : Draw pictorial diagrams

Concrete to
pictorial- drawing

Step 3 : Abstract equation

20 – 8 = 12
However, with time, many students are able to skip through Step 1 and
proceed with Step 2. Therefore, this module extends the basic steps of bar
modelling and includes some steps that are appropriate for local
students. This module proposes 4 essential steps which will be shown in
the next section.

2
 Bar Model: Addition (Basic)

Question: Ali has 3 mangoes while Siti has 4 mangoes.

How many mangoes they have altogether?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Ali has 3 mangoes while Siti has 4 mangoes.
How many mangoes they have altogether?

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw two boxes, one to represent 3

D
and the other to represent 4 with
unknown value (?) below the boxes.

3 4
?

E
Step 4: Form equation
Calculate unknown value (?)
by adding the two boxes (3 and 4).
Formulate the equation.
3+4=7
3
 Bar Model: Variation of Addition
A. Addition of more than 2 numbers

Question: Bob has 3 pears, Ina has 4 pears and Mimi has 5 pears.
How many pears they have altogether?

R
I Bob has 3 pears, Ina has 4 pears and
Mimi has 5 pears.
How many pears they have altogether?

D 3 4

?
5

E 3 + 4 + 5 = 12

4
 Bar Model: Subtraction (Basic)

Question: Lili has 7 rambutan and gives 3 rambutan to Raju.

How many rambutan are left with Lili?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Lili has 7 rambutan and gives 3 rambutan
to Raju.
How many rambutan are left with Lili?

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw two boxes, one to represent unknown
value (?) and the other to represent 3 with

D
the total number 7 below the boxes.

3 ?

E
Step 4: Form equation
Calculate unknown value (?) by removing
box representing 3 from total 7.
Formulate the equation.
7–3=4
5
 Bar Model: Variation of Subtraction
A. Subtraction more than 1 number
Yong has 12 chillies. He gives away 3 chillies to
Question: Ummu and 4 chillies to Casey.
How many chillies are left with Yong?

R
I
Yong has 12 chillies. He gives away 3 chillies to
Ummu and 4 chillies to Casey.
How many chillies are left with Yong?

D 3 4 ?

12

E 6
12 – 3 – 4 = 5

6
 Bar Model: Multiplication (Basic)

Ron has 3 packets of carrots. Each packet consists of

Question: 8 carrot sticks.
What is the total number of carrot sticks he has?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

Step 2: Identify key points

I
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Identify the number of groups and items.
Ron has 3 packets of carrots.
Each packet consists of 8 carrot sticks.
What is the total number of carrot sticks he has?

D
Step 3: Draw bar

8 8 8
?
Step 4: Form equation

At this stage, student may realise that

E
addition can be used to find the answer.
However, this is only applicable when the
numbers are all similar. Calculate unknown
value (?) by multiplying the number of
groups (3) by items (8).

3 x 8 = 24
7
 Bar Model: Variation of Multiplication
A. Large number of groups
Jimi has 50 bags of pebbles. There are 9 pebbles in
Question: each bag.
How many pebbles does Jimi have altogether?

R
I
Draw two boxes to represent 9 (items), an arrow
with the number of groups at the end of it and the
unknown value (?) below the boxes.

D 9
?
50

E 6
50 x 9 = 450

8
 Bar Model: Variation of Multiplication
B. Comparison

Question: Alex has 11 crayons. Ng has twice as many crayons as

Alex. How many crayons does Ng have?

R
I
Draw one box to represent Alex’s 11 crayons.
Draw another box below it to represent Ng’s
crayons. Since Ng’s crayons are twice the number

D
of Alex, therefore draw two similar boxes. Draw
the unknown value (?) below Ng’s boxes.

Alex 11
Ng 11 11

E 6
2 x 11 = 22

9
 Bar Model: Division (Basic)

Nana has 9 pencils. She wants to give to her 3 friends

Question: equal number of pencils. How many pencils would
each of her friends get?

R
Step
Step 1:
1: Read
Read
Assist
Assist students
students to
to read.
read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Identify the number of groups and total.
Nana has 9 pencils. She wants to give to her 3
friends equal number of pencils. How many
pencils would each of her friends get?

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw 3 boxes (number of groups), unknown
value (?) in each box and 9 (total) below the

D
boxes.

?
9

E
Step 4: Form equation
Calculate unknown value (?) by dividing 9
(total) by 3 boxes (number of groups).

9÷3=3
10
 Bar Model: Variation of Multiplication
A. Large number of groups

Question: Siva has 540 marbles. He packed them equally into

60 bags. How many marbles are there in each bag?

R
I
Draw two boxes to represent unknown value (?),
an arrow with 60 (number of groups) at the end of
it and 540 (total) below the boxes

D ?
540
60

E 6
540 ÷ 60 = 9

11
 Bar Model: Variation of Division
B. Comparison

Question: Zack has 28 stamps. Eva has half as many stamps as

Zack. How many stamps does Eva have?

R
I
Draw one box to represent Eva’s crayons since she
has half the number of crayons and unknown
value (?) inside it. Draw two similar boxes below it

D
to represent Zack’s crayons. Draw 28 below Zack’s
boxes.

Eva ?
Zack
28

E 6
28 ÷ 2 = 14

12
 Bar Model: Fraction (Basic)

Daud has 21 balloons. He gave one third of his

Question: balloons to Timah. How many balloons that Timah
receives?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

Step 2: Identify key points

I
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Identify the total and fraction component.
Daud has 21 balloons. He gave one third of
his balloons to Timah. How many balloons
that Timah receives?

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw 3 boxes (fraction component) and 20
(total) below the boxes

D 1
3

21
Step 4: Form equation

E
Calculate one third of 21. At this step,
students may realise that division can also
be used, but in certain fraction questions, it
is rather faster to use fraction concept
1 x 21 = 7
3

13
 Bar Model: Variation of Fraction
A. Comparison
Fendi has 45 sunflower seeds. 45 of Fendi’s pumpkin
Question: seeds is equal to 3 of Qisti’s sunflower seeds. How
4
many sunflower seeds did Qisti have?

R
I
Draw a long bar to represent Fendi’s sunflower
seeds and divide the bar into 5 equal boxes.
Shade 4 boxes.
Next, draw another long bar to represent Qisti’s
sunflower seeds and divide the bar into 4 equal

D
boxes. Shade 3 boxes and put the unknown value
(?) below Qisti’s long bar

Fendi
45
Qisti
?
Calculate four fifth of 45 to determine value. The
value is equal to three quarters of total Qisti’s
sunflower seeds.
Divide the value by 3 to know individual value for
each box.

E
Multiply the individual value by 4 for total Qisti’s
sunflower seeds.

4
5 x 45 = 36
36 ÷ 3 = 12
12 x 4 = 48
14
 Bar Model: Percentage (Basic)

Mina has 20 cubes. She donates 25% of her cubes to

Question: William.
How many cubes did she donate?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

Step 2: Identify key points

I
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Identify total and percentage component
Mina has 20 cubes. She donates 25% of her
cubes to William. How many cubes did she
donate?

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw a long bar representing 100%, divide
into 4 boxes (percentage component), each
representing 25% and write 20 (total) below

D
the boxes. Write the unknown value (?) in
each of the boxes.
20 = 100 %
100 % ÷ 25 % = 4
? 25 25 25
20
Step 4: Form equation

E
Calculate 25% of 20.

25% of 20 = ?
25
100 x 20 =5
15
 Bar Model: Variation of Percentage
A. Original value
Danial has 240 shells which is 60% of the total
Question: number of shells.
How many shells are there in total?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Identify the item and percentage component.
Danial has 240 shells which is 60% of the
total number of shells. How many shells
are there in total?

Draw a long bar representing 100%, divide into

one small box and one large box. Write 60% in
the smaller box with its value of 240 (item)
below it.

D Write the unknown value (?) below the long bar.

60
240
?
Students can assume 1% as 1 unit. Calculate

E
value of 1% and use the value to calculate the
original value which is 100%
60% = 240
1% = 240 ÷60
1% = 4
100% = 4 x 100
6 100% = 400

16
 Bar Model: Variation of Percentage
B. Percentage change
Ganesh bought a book at a price of RM30. He later
Question: sold the book for RM45.
What is the percentage change?
Step 1: Read
R Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points.
Ganesh bought a book at a price of RM30.
He later sold the book for RM45. By how
much % has the price increase by?

100

D 30
?
30 15
Find the value difference between original and
new price.
To find percentage change, always divide the
value difference by the original price and

E
multiply by 100%.
Remember to write ‘increase’ to show that the
new price is higher than the original price

45 – 30 = 15
15 x 100% = 50% increase
30
17
 Bar Model: Average (Basic)

Question: Kimi scores 60, 70 and 65 for his Science test. Find the
average score he has.

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

Step 2: Identify key points

I
Highlight, underline or circle key points.

Kimi scores 60, 70 and 65 for his Science

test. Find the average score he has.

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw the first three boxes, each representing
76,70 and 69.

D
Draw the second three boxes with unknown
value inside each box and number 3 below
the boxes.

60 75 65
195
?
3

E
Step 4: Form equation
Add the three values and divide them by 3.
60 + 70 + 65 = 195
195 ÷ 3 = 65
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 Bar Model: Variation of Average
A. Missing value
The average weight of Xie, Anis, Nora and Peter is
Question: 21kg. The individual weights are 22kg, 21kg, 23kg
and 20kg respectively. Find Peter’s weight.

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points
The average weight of Xie, Anis, Nora and
Peter is 21kg. The individual weights are
22kg, 21kg, 23kg and 20kg respectively.
Find Peter’s weight.

Draw 5 boxes, each representing all 4 values and

unknown value (?). Write 5 times 21 equals to 105
below the boxes. Average requires two steps of

D
drawing as previous question, this example
summarises the two steps into one.

22 21 23 20 ?
5 x 21 = 105

E
Calculate the total weight of 5 people by
multiplying 5 with 21.
Subtract the 4 values from the total.
Remember to write down the unit.
5 x 21 = 105
105 – 22 – 21 – 23 – 20 = 19 kg
6

19
 Bar Model: Ratio (Basic)

Rami has red and yellow balls in the ratio of 3:8. If

Question: there are 18 red balls, how many yellow balls are
there?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points
Rami has red and yellow balls in the ratio
of 3:8. If there are 18 red balls, how many
yellow balls are there?.

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw a long bar with 3 boxes representing ratio
and the actual value of 18 below the boxes.
Draw another long bar with 8 boxes

D
representing ratio and the unknown value (?)
below the boxes.
Red 6 6 6

18
Yellow 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

E
Calculate the value of 1 box by dividing the
actual number of 18 by 3.
Multiply the value by 8 to find the unknown
value (?).
18 ÷ 3 = 6
6 x 8 = 40
20
 Bar Model: Variation of Ratio
A. Comparison
Osman has red and yellow ropes in the ratio of 2:5. If
Question: there are 36 more yellow ropes, how many red ropes
are there?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points
Osman has red and yellow ropes in the
ratio of 2:5. If there are 36 more yellow
ropes, how many red ropes are there?

Draw a long bar with 2boxes representing ratio

and the unknown value (?) below the boxes.
Draw another long bar with 5 boxes representing

D
ratio and the actual value of 36 below the boxes

Red
?
Yellow
36

E
Calculate the value of one box.
Multiply the value by 2.

36 ÷ 3 = 12
6
12 x 2 = 24

21
 Bar Model: Decimal (Basic)

Question: Hairi’s height is 1.2m. Vivy is 0.9m shorter than Hairi.

What is Vivy’s height?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

Step 2: Identify key points

I Highlight, underline or circle key points.

Hairi’s height is 1.2m. Vivy is 0.9m shorter
than Hairi. What is Vivy’s height?

Step 3: Draw bar

Draw a long bar to represent Hairi’s height
with 1.2 below it.
Draw a short bar to represent Vivy’s height

D
and the difference with 0.9 below it.
Hairi

1.2
Vivy ?
0.9
Step 4: Form equation

E
Calculate the difference between the two values.
Remember the unit (m).

1.2 – 0.9 = 0.3m

22
 Bar Model: Variation of Decimal
A. Decimal Fraction (Hundredths)
Paul squeezes out 7.5 ℓ from a box of lime. He keeps
Question: 0.25 ℓ and poured the rest into 5 small bottles. What
is the volume of lime juice in each small bottle?

R
Step 1: Read
Assist students to read.

I
Step 2: Identify key points
Highlight, underline or circle key points
Paul squeezes out 7.5 ℓ from a box of limes.
He keeps 0.25 ℓ and poured the rest into 5
small bottles. What is the volume of limeT
juice in each small bottle?

Draw a long bar with one small box for 0.25 and
another 5 equal boxes representing the 5 bottles.
Write 7.5 as the total below the long bar.

D 0.25
?

7.5

E
Calculate the total volume of 5 bottles.
Find the volume of 1 bottle.

7.5 – 0.25 = 7.25

7.25 ÷ 5 = 1.45 ℓ

23
 Practice Questions

Topic: Addition and Subtraction

1. Fatin buys 18 yellow balloons and 23 red balloons. Kimi buys 10

balloons more than Fatin. How many balloons does Kimi buy?

2. Pak Abu rears cows, chickens and ducks at his farm. He has 460
chickens. His cows are 369 less than chickens while his ducks are 126
more than chickens. What is the total number of farm animals he has?

24
 Practice Questions

Topic: Addition and Subtraction

3. Total value of two numbers is 63159. If one of the number is

9438, what is the other number?

4. Omar weighs 37.7kg while Hana weighs 16.9kg less than Omar.
What is the total weight of Omar and Hana?

25
 Practice Questions

Topic: Multiplication and Division

1. Halim uses five cups of water to fill up one large water bottle. If
each cup contains 750ml of water. What is the volume of water inside the
large water bottle?

2. There are 160 guavas to be given equally to 32 students. How

many guavas do 5 students receive?

26
 Practice Questions

Topic: Multiplication and Division

3. Anna gives one piece of apple pie to each of her 18 friends. If she
cuts one whole apple pie into 6 pieces, how many apple pies that she has
baked for her friends?

4. Milie and Ceah have 130 colourful beads. Ceah has 29 less beads
than Milie. How many beads that Milie has?

27
 Practice Questions

Topic: Fraction and Percentage

1. Dave has some amount of chillies. He gives 1/4 of the chillies to

Tini and 1/2 of the chillies to Sam leaving Dave with 126 chillies.

a) Express the chillies left with Dave in fraction.

b) What is the initial number of chillies that Dave has before
giving away?

28
 Practice Questions

Topic: Fraction and Percentage

2. Dian sells one baju kurung for RM180 and receives 25% of profit.
What is the amount of profit that she receives?

29
 Practice Questions

Topic: Average, Ratio and Decimal

1. Leman, Suria, Gopal and Kumar weighs 53kg, 38kg, 49kg and
52kg respectively with the average weight of 48kg. If Kumar’s weight is
left out, what is the new average weight?

30
 Practice Questions

Topic: Average, Ratio and Decimal

2. The total number of cakes is 64 with the ratio between chocolate

cake to cheese cake as 2:6. How many cheese cake are there?

31
 Practice Questions

Topic: Average, Ratio and Decimal

3. Amin score 82.5 for his Mathematics exam. Ah Kong score 7.5 less
than Amin. How much does Ah Kong score?

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 Fakulti Pendidikan
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
43600 UKM, Bangi Selangor, MALAYSIA
Tel: + 603 8921 6237 Fax: + 603 8925 4372