Target/code: use direct alignment to detect equal length and a longer strip despite misleading starting positions; AC9MFM01. Prepare: P167 equal 110 mm pair and different 75/115 mm pair, all same width.
- Notice · 3 min. Stagger the equal pair so one far tip is farther right. Invite a guess, explicitly calling it a guess until ends align.
- Model · 4 min. Align one end of each equal strip and say the ends finish together: equal length, even though earlier placement differed.
- Guide · 5 min. Child aligns the different pair and shows which extends beyond the other; do not use the adult's millimetre values as the answer.
- Independent route · 7 min. Day 167 A/B/C covers both real pairs in a stage border, gallery canopy or toy doorway. Require “equal” for the first and a longer/shorter explanation for the second.
- Reason check · 4 min. Return to the misleading stagger and ask what changed: position of the strip, not its length. If a strip bent, straighten or replace it and repeat.
- Exit · 2 min. Child shows how to start a fair length comparison. Keep later learning about units separate from this direct-comparison target.