Lauren Wiener

Mrs. Bowman, Math Problem-Based Lesson

November 14, 2017

Part One: The Lesson

A. Dividing with decimals by 1 digit whole numbers

B. RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

5.5 The student will…
a) Find the … quotient of two numbers expressed as decimals through
thousandths (divisors with only one nonzero digit); and
b) Create and solve single-step and multistep practical problems involving
decimals.

C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

UNDERSTAND​ –
● The students should understand division with decimals is performed the same way
as division of whole numbers. The only difference is the placement of the decimal
point in the quotient.
● The students should understand how to solve division equations that include
decimals

KNOW ​–
● The students should know how division is performed with decimals
● The students should know how decimals affect division quotients

DO​ –
● The students should be able to solve division problems by using money, the box
method, and the standard algorithm
● The students should be able to teach their strategy to their partner and explain
their thinking

D. ASSESSING LEARNING
The students will be assessed informally throughout the lesson through observation while
the students are involved in the practice problems. I will be completing the observation form
attached to this lesson plan that will help me organize my notes as I work with and observe
students. I will be able to record their questions and thoughts under their name to keep all of their
data together. This form will also check to make sure the students are meeting the SOL standards
listed above. The students will be showing their work on their practice sheet as well as writing a
reflection to their problem solving and I will collect these as concrete evidence.
PART TWO: LESSON PLAN PROCEDURE

A. CONTEXT OF LESSON
This lesson is centered around practicing dividing decimals by whole numbers. This lesson fits in
the curriculum sequence because the students have been learning long division with whole
numbers. This lesson will take place in the middle of the unit to provide practice for the students
in dividing decimals.

The students will be working as a class, with partners, and independently to complete the
practice problems and reflection writing.

NCTM Process Standards within the lesson:

The students will be problem solving throughout the entire lesson while they practice the
problems provided. They will be thinking independently to use strategies to solve the problems.
They will be using multiple strategies to help them decide which strategy they like using the
best. They will also pair and share to learn if their partners or classmates solved the problem in a
way they like better.
The students will be communicating during the lesson because they will work as a class
to introduce the lesson. They will also be teaching and explaining their strategies both orally and
written to a partner. The students will then be able to share as a whole group what strategies they
used and how they were effective.
The students will be connecting ideas through the connections of division with decimals
to whole number division and the connection of money to decimals. Students will be applying
prior knowledge to solve problems and count the money provided. The use of money will also
help the students to have a real life application for dividing decimals.
Representation is also being used by allowing the students to solve the problems in three
different ways. While all of the ways are required to complete the activity, the students are able
to show their knowledge and skills through drawings, traditional algorithms, and abbreviated
algorithms. The students will also be modeling real life situations by visually dividing the money
amongst the groups.

I came up with the idea for the lesson with Mr. Imbrescia. I also have borrowed some problems
from
https://www.teachervision.com/save/to/drive/aS5pbmZvcGxzLmNvbS9NYXRoXzRfUFNfNy0x
MS5wZGY​= and
https://www.ixl.com/math/grade-6/divide-decimals-by-whole-numbers-word-problems​ .

​B. MATERIALS NEEDED

● Practice Sheet (Questions 1-5) (53)
● Bonus sheet for early finishers (Questions 6-10) (53)
● Observation sheet (18)
● Fake money (coins and bills)
● Pencils
C. PROCEDURE
Discuss how you will be address the topics below. Provide specifics about what you plan to say,
questions you may ask, and strategies you will use to make the lesson a success. You may use
this template or complete this in paragraph or other friendlier formats, but each item must be
discussed.

What will you be doing to ensure these things happen

● Display the problem on the board.

● Read problem out loud “Tricia works at a jewelry
store and sells 4 rings. Each of the rings cost the
same amount. The total cost is $21.00. How
much does each ring cost?”
● “Now if we were using money from our wallet,
how could we figure out the cost of the rings?”
Call on 2-3 students for responses.
● “Let’s go ahead and solve this problem. What
operation do we need to complete to solve this
problem?” Call on 1 student. The answer we are
looking for is: Division
● “How much money do we need to solve this
problem?” Call on 1 student. The answer we are
looking for is: 21 dollars.
● “Can you count out $21 for me?” (Use physical
bills and coins) Help the student as needed
Activate Prior
Before ● Call on another student to come up and help.
Knowledge
“Now divide that money into how many equal
groups?” The answer we are looking for is 4
● Count out the money, bills may have to be
exchanged for smaller denominations
● Have student sit down and another come up to
help.
● “Count the money in each pile. How much
money did each ring cost?” The answer we are
looking for is: $5.25. Have student sit down.
● “How could we write this problem as a division
problem?” Have student write it on the document
camera.
● “How could we solve this using the method Ms.
Bowman taught us yesterday?” have students
direct you in what you should do as you solve the
problem on the document camera.
● Write out number sentence and work out the
problem showing work
 ● “Today, we will be completing similar problems
to the one we just completed.”
● Show paper under document camera
● On your paper, you will be completing each
problem in 3 ways. First by using the box method
we have been learning with long division
Be Sure the ● After your box method is complete, you will be
Problem is drawing money to explain your division.
Understood ● How could we draw money for this problem we
just completed? Call on a few students.
● Model and draw how you could solve this
problem using money
● After you solve the problem by drawing, you will
be solving the problem using the traditional
algorithm
● You will complete the problems IN ORDER and
complete the steps in order.
● You MUST start by solving the problem using
Establish Clear the box method and then move to solving the
Expectations problem using drawings and traditional math.
● You MUST show your work so I can tell how
you completed the problems
● Does anyone have any questions?
● Allow students to work independently
During Let Go!
● Walk around and help when needed
● Look for students to be using partitive division
when drawing the money
Notice Children's
● Look or student understanding of money is
Mathematical
related to decimals
Thinking
● Discuss with students if I want them to share
their work
● There will be manipulatives available for
students to help them count their money.
● To help the students who are struggling to draw
the monetary representations, I will show them
Provide how to draw a circle or rectangle and place the
This portion
Appropriate value inside.
of the lesson
Support ● I will also help the students who are struggling
will be
with drawing the representation by asking
where you
guiding questions like. “Could you group the
will address
coins in a certain way?”, “Could you separate
differentiati
those bills or coins into smaller parts?”
on
 ● If students are to finish their assignment quickly,
Provide I would allow for them to complete more
Worthwhile problems and to work on their explanations of
Extensions how they are going to teach the lesson to their
partners.
● Now that we all have finished, let’s share how
we solved this problem using our money.
● You will now be teaching your partner how you
solved a particular problem using money
● Divide students into 5​ ​groups​ ​(based on number
of problems on the sheet) and assign them a
problem to teach their partners
● Turn to your partner and I want you to teach
Promote a
them how you solved this problem using money
After Community of
or drawings
Learners
● Allow students about 3-5 minutes to work and
teach their partners
● Who wants to come up and show the class their
partners work?
● Have student come up to the document camera
and show and explain the class their partners
work.

● Guide class and students with appropriate

questions such as:
● Why did you choose to solve it that way?
Listen Actively ● Can you explain that a little more so
without Evaluation everyone understands?
● Repeat the sharing process until all problems
have been explained in all the ways they were
solved using money
● In the future you guys can use this lesson when
you are dividing using decimals to help make
sure your answers make sense
Summarize Main
● For example if we were trying to figure out how
Ideas and Identify
much each of the 4 rings cost and our answer
Future Problems
was $52.50 we would know we were wrong
because there would be no way for 4 rings to
cost that much each if the total was $5.25
PART THREE: REFLECTION ON THE NCTM STANDARDS
For my mathematics lesson that focused on dividing decimals by whole numbers, I was
able to successfully incorporate four of the five process standards. I successfully included
problem solving by allowing the students to complete various practice problems throughout the
lesson. This allowed them to work independently and develop strategies that worked best for
them. The students also communicated throughout the lesson because they helped to show
examples and teach their peers ways that they successfully solved the problem. This
communication allowed for students to make connections between decimals and division and
division with decimals to division with whole numbers. Throughout the lesson I asked the
students if they would solve the problem differently if the numbers were whole or if they were to
think about using money. Finally, I implemented representation by having the students solve
each problem in three separate ways. This allowed them to practice a way that they felt
comfortable solving the problem.
I struggled to implement the standard of reasoning and proofs because I did not want the
lesson to stray too far away from the practice of division and into a discussion of why division
works the way it does. I did talk to the students about why we divide and how it can be helpful to
think of using money when dividing with decimals but at the request of my cooperating teacher I
stuck more to the traditional practice of math. ​In the future, I would work to incorporate
reasoning and proof into my lesson by having time to discuss why we were working towards
division in the way that we were. Allowing students to handle manipulatives and practice
multiple ways of solving problems was a good step in the right direction but there could have
been more direct instruction.
I honestly felt very comfortable implementing the standards into my lesson. I wrote the
lesson initially and then went back to try and find ways that the standards would fit my lesson
plan. Doing this allowed me to realize that the standards are not things to shy away from but that
we already use them in our lesson planning. It was helpful to think about the standards
specifically though because that helped me to be more intentional in my implementation of them
during my lesson.. It helped me to ask questions in ways that all students would understand and
it also prepared me to help the students who may struggle with the particulars of the activity.
I felt very comfortable teaching this lesson. Having only seen these students work in
math once, I was quite nervous to begin my lesson but I soon felt accepted and respected as a
math teacher amongst the students. I feel that teaching to these standards is something that can
be lost in the shuffle of being a full time teacher but making sure that all pieces of the lesson are
intentional will help create a better learning environment for all. I think that I could use this
lesson again in my classroom. I would tweak a few things with the practice problems to make
them more cohesive and friendly but overall I believe this lesson was really effective for the
students to practice dividing decimals by whole numbers.
Observation Form for Dividing Decimals by Whole Numbers

Student Name:________________________________________________

_______________Solved Problems correctly using:

______________ Box Method
______________ Drawing/Money
______________Traditional Algorithm

_______________Was able to effectively explain their thinking to their partner

Additional Comments:

Student Name:________________________________________________

_______________Solved Problems correctly using:

______________ Box Method
______________ Drawing/Money
______________Traditional Algorithm

_______________Was able to effectively explain their thinking to their partner

Additional Comments:

Student Name:________________________________________________

_______________Solved Problems correctly using:

______________ Box Method
______________ Drawing/Money
______________Traditional Algorithm

_______________Was able to effectively explain their thinking to their partner

Additional Comments: