Division For Third Graders

Savannah Walker                Mason School
                               4217 W. 18th Street
                               Chicago, Ill. 60623
                               312-534-1530

Objective:

   To use measurement to demonstrate division.

Materials needed:

 a meter stick
 a ball of cord
 a pair of scissors

Strategy:

Seat the class in pairs.  Have one student measure and the other cut.

1. Measure and cut a piece of cord 110 cm long.
2. Start at one end of the cord and cut pieces that are 8 cm long.
   Cut as many pieces as possible.  Measure carefully.
3. Count the number of 8 cm pieces you have cut.
4. Measure the piece that is left over. It should measure 6 cm.

Repeat the process for other lengths of string.

Conclusion:

      110 / 8 = 13 r6.

Evaluation:
    
For each division sentence, make and complete a table showing:

 1. Length of single piece
 2. Length of single pieces to be cut from single piece
 3. Number of exact-size pieces that can be cut from single piece
 4. Size of left-over piece (the remainder)
 5. Division sentence (Give the division sentence this represents)

Repeat for the other examples.