Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Short Division Algorithm Sample Lesson
Short Division Algorithm Sample Lesson
Short Division Algorithm Sample Lesson
Adapted from Lesson Design template created by Katrin Oddleifson Robertson and Shannon Kurtz McGrath, 2010
ALTERNATIVE DIVISION ALGORITHM PLANNING TEMPLATE
Anticipating student ideas: Some students may not be fluent in their multiplication facts and will need manipulatives. How do you think students
will respond to this new algorithm? What questions will they have? What else might be confusing?
Making the content Have manipulatives out the entire time so students are able to check their answer or work through the problem.
accessible to all students: Encourage students to talk about math, using the mathematical language and vocabulary. Use turn and talks and
group work to support all students. How will you support all the learners in your group? Do you have any special
education students who need particular supports? What about your learners who struggle? What about the learners
who excel? (specific supports for ELs are already included above so you don’t need to include them again)
Teaching Sequence:
Time/Task Instructional Moves (Include key questions you want to ask.) Considerations
(Things you want to remember/attend to:
e.g., differentiation, transitions)
5 min Launch
• Have students complete a math problem using traditional long division algorithm Think ahead of time about what vocab
• Review or introduce vocabulary by explicitly modeling it while you walk through students are struggling with or misusing
the warm up problem with traditional algorithm: Dividend, divisor, quotient, and what will support this algorithm
remainder, solution
• Explain to students that today we are learning a different strategy to add
numbers together – it’s a strategy that many people learn in Mexico and it can
help us think about math in a new and exciting way!
• Tell students that something special about this algorithm is that we get to use
our mental math skills!
• Example problem: 591 / 3 = ________
Lesson Sequence (I recommend I Do, We Do, You Do)
• Use manipulatives to demonstrate for students how the algorithm makes sense Always have manipulatives!! These
and think aloud hands-on visuals are helpful for all
• Example Think Aloud: So this algorithm that we’re learning today is similar to students but NECESSARY for your ELs.
the long division but it’s called short division because it should take less time if
we know our multiplication facts! But we can also use these cubes to help us in
case we forget our facts. So I start just like my regular strategy and ask myself,
how many groups of 3 can I make from 5 blocks? I can only make 1 group of 3 VERY detailed think aloud is necessary for
(show using manipulatives) and I have 2 left over so not enough to make another students
group of three. I write that I made 1 group of three above the 5 and then I see
that I had 2 left over and I’m going to write a little two next to the next number
so now it says 29 instead of 9. I need to make sure that when I’m doing this
algorithm I leave some space between my numbers so I don’t get confused. Now I
have to get 29 blocks and say to myself, how many groups of 3 can I make from
29 blocks? Let’s find out! (start making groups of 3) ok I have 9 groups here and 2
Adapted from Lesson Design template created by Katrin Oddleifson Robertson and Shannon Kurtz McGrath, 2010
ALTERNATIVE DIVISION ALGORITHM PLANNING TEMPLATE
left over so I can’t make another group. I’ll write my 9 above the 9 and then I
write the 2 next to the 2, so now it’s 21. How many groups of 3 can I make from
21 blocks? Let’s find out! Does anyone know how many times 3 goes into 21?
Here, I made 7 groups and there are none left over, so I have no remainder. I
write 7 above the 1 and now my solution, or my quotient, is 197!
• Give a new problem and have students practice it in pairs/intentional groups
using manipulatives, talking aloud, and recording their thinking.
• Give students 2-5 more problems and allow them to use this algorithm to solve
OR a traditional algorithm. Leave manipulatives out.
• During independent work time, select 2 students who solved the same problem
using 2 different algorithms
• Have students explain their work on the board
• Discuss the similarities and differences in the algorithms and explanations as a
whole class.
• Point out/have Ss notice that the solutions are the same, even though the
methods were different
Closure
• Ask students for what they like/don’t like about this new algorithm Make sure Ss don’t feel pressured to
• Explain that Ss can use whatever algorithm works best in their head when doing use/not use a certain algorithm
math
• Reinforce that there is no “right” way to solve a problem
Adapted from Lesson Design template created by Katrin Oddleifson Robertson and Shannon Kurtz McGrath, 2010