Division Freebie

I know many of you are teaching division with partial quotients right now. I have always found it helpful if my kiddos have a graphic organizer to keep their numbers straight when first learning this skill. Click on the pic below to get your free partial quotient division graphic organizer.

In my TpT store I have a set of division printables that great for instruction and assessment. This set is available with and without an answer key box at the bottom of the page. My student find an answer box helpful when self correcting. They tend to identify and correct their own mistakes when using an answer box.

Division

Updated 2/24/15

I have to brag on my kiddos they are really doing GREAT with division!

We begin by creating a multiplication t-chart. This is helpful for all students, but especially for those students who do not fluently know their multiplication facts. (see t-chart example in picture below)

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At this point in the year my kiddos have had a lot of practice with multiples of 10 and 100. After modeling and many examples, most of my kiddos understand 30 x 6 is a ten times bigger than 3x6 and 300 x 6 is a hundred times bigger than 3x6. Some students are able to justify this by repeated addition.

We use the partial quotients method or repeated subtraction method to teach division. (see examples in picture below) I LOVE this method of division for 4^th graders because it helps them retain their place value understanding. In a short amount of time, they are even completing some division problems mentally.

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When I introduce division, I put into a story. I tell them I baked 298 cookies for the bake sale. I tell them I want to buy some fancy boxes in which to put the cookies. I explain to them that these boxes are really expensive so I just want to buy enough boxes for the cookies. I tell them I am going to put 5 cookies in each box. At the fancy box store, they sell boxes, in packs of multiples of 100, multiples of 10, and 1-9.

I ask the students if I need 100 boxes. They discuss this at their groups. This question usually has a good discussion the first couple of times. Once they decide that I do not need 100 boxes, I ask them if I need 10 boxes. They decide I do need 10 boxes. I tell them that the fancy box store sell packs of boxes in multiples of 10. (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 70, 90) Next, we figured out what size pack we should buy from the store. We used our 5s t-chart for visual reference. We decide to put the 50 pack of boxes in our shopping cart.  I ask them how many cookies will I be able to box if I buy 50 boxes. They tell me 250.

I baked 286 cookies and I have enough boxes for 250 cookies. How can we figure out how many cookies I still need to get boxes for? (Subtraction)  We have 36 cookies that do not have a box. If we buy a box of 10, I will have left over boxes. So we look at buying a 1-9 pack. Using the t-chart again, they decided that a 7 pack would get us the closest without going over. Boxing 35 of my cookies. 

We put 285 cookies into the 57 boxes. There was one cookie remaining. 

A friend of mine introduced me to this partial quotient website, The Quotient Cafe. My kiddos loved it! 

I also have a division set of practice problems. These problems increase with difficulty as you progress through the set. This makes differentiating easy. The problems are on a "Big 7" as I call it, so that students' work can be neat and organize when they are first learning. Select a page from this set and you have a quick assessment. Answer keys are completely worked out, so you can quickly see in which step your students made their errors. Click here to checkout this set!

Differentiated Word Problems

My kiddos are currently working on multiplication. They know their basis division, but we really haven’t started larger division yet. Not wanting to teach multiplication in isolation, I developed some multiplication and division word problems. The division word problems are basic fact, but still made my kiddo decide if the problem was multiplication or division.

I used these cards in conjunction with an array graphic organizer I created. Since my prior multiplication and factor teaching is so array based this array visual just makes sense. I have used this organizer for a couple years now, and have gotten good results out of my students.

I talked to my kiddos about how most multiplication and division word problems had two things that went together such as: fences & dogs; kids & slices of pizza; football players & touch downs; trees & leaves; books & backpacks; etc. I let them give a few examples too. We went on to discuss that one of the two things was the “group” and the other was the thing “being grouped.”

We read some of the multiplication and division word problems I created looking for only for the two things that went together. Hint: they are usually by the numbers, but not always.

We sorted the cards by their question. Was the question asking: # groups; # per group; # in all. We did a few together whole class, and then I gave each small group a few to sort together. Once they agreed, they placed it on a large anchor chart.

We were ready to start solving problems. Each student created an array foldable to put in their interactive notebook. I gave it student a record sheet. The record sheet has a spot for them to record the # groups, # per group, # in all. We read each problem once looking for the two things. On the second read, we found and recorded the info from the problem. Then, we made an equation and solved it.

After we worked several together, students walked around the room working the problems I had hanging from clips from my cabinets and walls. They were allowed to work with a buddy and at their own pace.

I have made three different levels to differentiate. I have placed cards on my front wall under my white board, on the side on my cabinets, and in the back on my wall. I told my students the cards are in the front are hard, the card on the side are harder, and the cards in the back are the hardest. They get to pick where to start-self differentiate. They like these terms. It makes them feel successful when they solve their problems. One year, I had a student request an even harder level; he called it insane. Click here to check out my differentiated word problems.

Want to Get on the Right Track with Word Problems?

I have been working on a set of 26 task cards involving multiplication and division situations. Each task card contains a picture and two questions. Some problems have extra information, require students to interpret remainders, or require students to use the answer from the first problem to solve the second. (Common Core Standard 4.OA.3) The set includes a student record sheet and an answer key. Since understanding word problems is a skill in which so many students need extra practice, I decided to share my task cards with my Facebook Fans. Not a fan yet? Go to Facebook, click "like" then access the "Fan Freebies" tab.

***Update 1/6/15 This resource above is no longer available on my Facebook page; however, it is available for purchase in my TpT store. Click here to check it out.  You are now able to get my Cooperative Table Mats when you like my Facebook. I love this set of table mats because my students are continually working in cooperative groups. These mats make partnering up a breeze. They are available for groups of 4 or groups of 6. Like my Facebook page to get your FREE set of table mats!!