Three Cheers for Division: Math for Grade 5

Session Design by Sherre Barnes and Alicia Turner

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Standards
CCSS Math: 5.NF.B Standard 7A
o Interpret division of a unit fraction by a non-zero whole number, and compute such
quotients. For example, create a story context for (1/3) 4, and use a visual
fraction model to show the quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication
and division to explain that (1/3) 4 = 1/12 because (1/12) 4 = 1/3 .
CCSS Math: 5.NF.B Standard 7C
o Solve real world problems involving division of unit fractions by non-zero whole
numbers and division of whole numbers by unit fractions, e.g., by using visual
fraction models and equations to represent the problem. For example, how much
chocolate will each person get if 3 people share 1/2 lb of chocolate equally? How
many 1/3-cup servings are in 2 cups of raisins?
Utah Theatre Standard 2 Objective 1A
o Synchronize movement.
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that sometimes approaching a problem from multiple
perspectives may reveal a variety of processes to help further their understanding and
finding a solution.
Key Knowledge
Students will know that a reciprocal or multiplicative inverse is written as one over that
number (e.g. 4 becomes ) or the fraction reversed (e.g. 11/20 becomes 20/11).
ASSESSMENT
Performance Tasks
Students learn a pre-devised pattern of movements included in the lesson plan to the
following cheer: Dividing fractions, lets simplify! Take the second reciprocal and multiply
and then perform it in order to demonstrate the ability to synchronize movement.
Other Assessments
Students complete story problems in the attached worksheet in order to solve real world
problems involving division of unit fractions by non-zero whole numbers and division of
whole numbers by unit fractions.
Students write sentences, draw pictures, and perform division without words showing their
work to demonstrate that sometimes approaching a problem from multiple perspectives
may reveal a variety of processes to help further their understanding and finding a
solution.
Students show their mathematical work process in the attached worksheet in order to
demonstrate that a reciprocal or multiplicative inverse is written as one over that number
(e.g. 4 becomes ) or the fraction reversed (e.g. 11/20 becomes 20/11).
Students write and draw the explanation to their solution in the attached worksheet
involving a fraction and whole number in order to interpret division of a unit fraction by a
non-zero whole number, and compute such quotients.
MATERIALS NEEDED
Teacher Materials
Poster board with the dividing fractions cheer written on it.
Pre-devised synchronized movement to the above cheer (instructions found in step 5 of
lesson plan).

Bag of candy with 36 pieces.

Pom-poms (2 total).
Answer key to worksheet (attached).

Student Materials
Worksheet (attached).
LEARNING PLAN
Framing / Hook
1. Opening Lecture.
a. One teacher begins class in a monotonous tone with a definition of dividing a
fraction by a non-zero whole number.
i. Explain to students that dividing a whole number by a fraction is the same as
multiplying a whole number by the fractions reciprocal.
ii. Explain that a reciprocal is written as one over that number (e.g. 4 becomes
) or the fraction reversed (e.g. 11/20 becomes 20/11).
b. Second teacher, in role as Cheerleader carrying pom-poms, interrupts lecture.
i. Say things like Hey there Aggie! (or what your schools mascot is) I heard
you were learning how to divide whole numbers with fractions! Well, to help
you out I created a cheer just for you!
ii. Cheerleader, holding pom-poms, performs a pre-devised movement to the
following cheer:
1. Dividing fractions, lets simplify! Take the second reciprocal and
multiply!
c. First teacher thanks Cheerleader for the demonstration, but says that while its nice
to know how to find the answer to dividing fractions, its also important to know why
we divide with fractions.
Process
2. First teacher explains the quotient.
a. Write the following problem on the board: 3/4 2
i. Ask students what the reciprocal of 2 is.
1. If students dont supply the answer, Cheerleader reminds students that
a whole number is written as one over that number, so 2 would
become 1/2.
ii. Rewrite the problem as 3/4
1/2.
1. Ask students what sign (multiply or divide) would go in the box.
a. If students dont supply the answer (multiply), Cheerleader
performs cheer again, emphasizing multiply!
iii. Solve the problem.
1. Show students that 3/4 x 1/2 = 3/8.
b. Check for understanding.
i. Ask students if 3/8 is really the answer.
1. If every student agrees it is the answer, ask 3-4 students to explain
why, having them use real world examples to explain the answer.
2. If every student does not agree, or are unsure, continue to next step.
3. Pictorial demonstration.
a. Write the following problem on the board: 4 1/5.
i. Cheerleader enthusiastically shouts that s/he knows a different way to
explain a solution.
1. Cheerleader explains that there are 4 cheerleaders in his/her squad
and that they have 1/5 of a bag of confetti. S/he wants to know how
much of the bag each member of the squad will get.
2. Cheerleader will draw 4 cheerleaders on the board and one bag of
confetti. The bag of confetti will be divided into 5 sections with one

section highlighted. Explain that the highlighted section of the bag

represents the 1/5 of the bag.
a. Divide the 1/5 into 4 equal parts. Explain that those parts
represent the amount that each of the four cheerleaders will
receive.
b. Explain that one of the part equals 1/20 of the bag.
i. Solve the mathematical problem to see if you get the
same answer as the picture.
c. If students still do not understand, Cheerleader divides the bag
into 20 sections with one section highlighted representing the
1/20 of the bag.
d. Cheerleader writes answer on the board as the following: of
the bag needs to be equally divided between four cheerleaders.
One of those 4 parts will be how much each cheerleader
receives. Each cheerleader should have 1/20 of the whole bag.
b. Cheerleader asks First Teacher for another problem to solve.
4. Practical application
a. First teacher writes 1/2 9 on the board. And gets out bag of candy containing 36
pieces.
i. Teacher explains to students that they are all at a birthday party for
Cheerleader and theyve celebrated with a piata. Since it was Cheerleaders
party, s/he received half of the candy and now the rest of the class must
divide the remaining candy amongst themselves.
1. Give 18 pieces of candy to Cheerleader.
ii. Students end up dividing the remaining 18 pieces so that each student has 2
pieces.
iii. Ask students how much of the entire piata they now have. Answer is 1/18.
1. If students answer correctly, skip to iv.
2. If students are struggling to find the answer, have them divide
Cheerleaders candy to match their own (9 piles of 2 pieces).
3. Cheerleader asks students how many piles of candy there are (18) and
then asks again how much of the entire piata their pile of candy is
(1/18).
iv. Ask students to prove that the answer is 1/18.
1. Have students divide Cheerleaders candy to match their own (9 piles
of 2 pieces).
2. Cheerleader asks students how many piles of candy there are (18) and
then asks again how much of the entire piata their pile of candy is
(1/18).
b. NOTE: If there is a different amount of students in the class, the problem written on
the board and amount of candy must change to reflect that (i.e. if there are only 8
students, the problem becomes 1/2 8, the solution would be 1/16 and the total
number of candy pieces needs to be 32).
5. Cheer.
a. First teacher tells class that since they understand so well what it means to divide
whole numbers by fractions, its time for some fun, and allows Cheerleader to teach
the class the cheer s/he knows to help remember a different way of solving
problems like this.
b. Cheerleader has class stand up and asks them if they know what synchronized
movement means.
i. If students dont supply the correct answer, Cheerleader informs them that it
means everyone does the same movement at the same time.
c. Cheerleader demonstrates the pre-devised movement to the following cheer:
i. First teacher holds up poster board with the words written on the poster
board: Dividing fractions, lets simplify! Take the second reciprocal and
multiply!

ii. The cheer movements are: As you say Dividing fractions, lets simplify! clap
four times. As you say Take the second, throw your arms straight into the
air. As you say reciprocal make a rolling motion with both your arms in front
of your body. As you say and, throw both your arms into the air again. As
you say multiply, cross your arms together in front of your body to create
an X.
d. Cheerleader teaches students and First Teacher the pre-devised cheer.
i. All students perform the cheer (with movements) with Cheerleader and First
Teacher.
1. If necessary, repeat teaching and performance until all students
perform the cheer correctly.
Reflection
6. Different approaches discussion.
a. Explain to students that one approach to learning how to divide fractions is having
the teacher show examples of dividing fractions on the board (simply solving the
problem), drawing pictures, or creating a story problem (like the cheer squad and
confetti example) that goes along with the mathematical equation to further
understanding.
b. Depending on time allowance, ask 1-5 students to give an example of how they
approach solving a problem in their own lives with different solutions.
i. Examples could include:
1. Creating games to help them complete chores (i.e. their floor is lava
and they must save their possessions before they are burned, they
must pretend theyre pirates setting the table for a crew meeting).
2. Different studying tactics (i.e. having parents create quizzes for them,
create flash cards, always have the same music play when they study,
etc.).
7. Hand out worksheet and inform students that they must complete it for homework.
Attachments
8. Student worksheet to be completed as homework.
9. Teacher answer key.

Name:

Date:

Express your answer to the following mathematical problems in simplest form. Show your work.
1a. Solve the following problem:
1/2 3 =
b. Write 1-4 sentences explaining why the solution you got is the correct one.

c. Draw a picture showing why the solution you got is the correct one.

2a. Solve the following problem:

2/3 6 =
b. Write 1-4 sentences explaining why the solution you got is the correct one.

c. Draw a picture showing why the solution you got is the correct one.

3a. Solve the following problem:

2/6 5 =
b. Write 1-4 sentences explaining why the solution you got is the correct one.

c. Draw a picture showing why the solution you got is the correct one.

4. Solve the following word problem: There are 7 students in the class and 3/4 of a pound of a chocolate.
If the chocolate is divided equally among the students, how many will each student get?

5. Solve the following word problem: Fred's Cafe uses 2 bags of KoolAid every day. How long will 2/3
of a bag of KoolAid last?

Name:

Answer Key

Date:

Express your answer to the following mathematical problems in simplest form. Show your work.
1a. Solve the following problem:
1/2 3 = 1/6
b. Write 1-4 sentences explaining why the solution you got is the correct one.
Student answers may vary, but an acceptable response may be: There is of a pizza left and three
people want an equal portion of the remaining pizza. In order to do this, each person would end up
getting 1/6 of the whole pizza.
c. Draw a picture showing why the solution you got is the correct one.
1/6 Students answers may vary, but an acceptable drawing may be:

A
Half:

Divided
by 3:

Answer:
1/6

2a. Solve the following problem:

2/3 6 = 1/9
b. Write 1-4 sentences explaining why the solution you got is the correct one.
A store is having a shoe sale and there are 6 employee. The store wants to sell 2/3 of the shoes, so
employee is responsible for selling 1/9 of all the shoes.
c. Draw a picture showing why the solution you got is the correct one.
Shoes

3a. Solve the following problem:

2/6 5 = 1/15
b. Write 1-4 sentences explaining why the solution you got is the correct one.
A pumpkin patch has 5 rows of pumpkins, with 3 pumpkins in each row. One pumpkin represents 1/15
of the entire pumpkin patch
c. Draw a picture showing why the solution you got is the correct one.
Pumpkin

4. Solve the following word problem: There are 7 students in the class and 3/4 of a pound of a chocolate.
If the chocolate is divided equally among the students, how many will each student get?
3/28
5. Solve the following word problem: Fred's Cafe uses 2 bags of KoolAid every day. How long will 2/3
of a bag of KoolAid last?
1/3 of a day or 8 hours.