Take three hands-up answers, not open call-outs. Listen for a pupil who offers 3n — revoice it, but don't confirm the rule yet; that lands in Watch and Notice.

Work the three expressions on the board, grouping like terms as the class predicts. Between the three expressions, turn-and-name a pupil to say the group before you reveal each answer, so the beat keeps moving.

• 3x + 2x — all bags, so everything joins into one group. Ask what the group is worth before revealing 5x.
• 4x + 3 + 2x — the point of the lesson: the loose 3 cannot climb into a bag. Hold out for a pupil to say the 3 stays where it is.
• x + x + 5 + 1 — the loose cubes are themselves like terms, so 5 and 1 combine to 6. Name the answer as 2x + 6, two groups that cannot merge further.

Talk this one through together — pupils take turns at the board and the class agrees or corrects out loud.

Use counters or cube-and-bag cards at pupils' desks so everyone sorts as the board is sorted. Watch for a pupil who tries to slide a loose number into the x-bag pile — that is the misconception to surface. Can a plain 4 ever hide inside a bag we can't count?

The x-terms are 5x + 3x + x, which make 9x; the loose cubes are 2 + 4, which make 6. Once the cards are grouped (9x in the x-bags, 6 in the loose cubes), lead the class to state the simplified expression as 9x + 6.

This is the practice round — pupils take turns at the board, check each answer, and the class confirms before moving on. Keep the board work brisk rather than over-explaining.

After each Check, ask the class to state the simplified expression in full (both groups), so the answer is 7x + 3, not just 7x.