Students will deepen their understanding of the four different ways to
interpret remainders by participating in an activity using creative writing
and theatre arts.
Materials
Pencils
Notebook paper, and/or plain white paper
Math notebook
Index cards with four numbers written on them (divisor, dividend,
quotient, remainder (created by the teacher)
(Example of numbers that could be written on the index card:
456, 1, 7, 65)
Book, A Remainder of One by Elinor J. Pinczes
Activities
DAY 1
Activity 1: Read Aloud (15 minutes)
1. Invite students to sit together on the floor to listen to a story about division.
2. Have them bring their math notebook and a pencil.
3. Read the book, “A Remainder of One” by Elinor J. Pinczes, or listen to the read aloud here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arT7OSEdu3U
4. During the read aloud students can chant the chorus: “Hup, two, three, four! We’re in the 25th Army Corps! Queens count two, three! We are the marching infantry!”
5. After reading, invite students to share their ideas about what a remainder is.
Activity 2: Activate Student Schema (30 minutes)
1. Ask students to share the 4 ways that they know to interpret remainders.
2. Write the 4 ways students have learned to interpret remainders on an anchor chart.
a. Share the Remainder
b. Ignore the Remainder
c. The Remainder is the Answer
d. Add 1 to the Quotient
3. Share the following example with students before allowing them to brainstorm their own ideas:
“Lola and her mom are made cookies for a bake sale. They made 234 cookies! They have boxes that hold 8 cookies. How many boxes will they need to hold all of their cookies?”
The answer to this story problem is, 29 boxes, remainder two cookies.
I think Lola and her mom need to add one to the quotient meaning that they need 30 boxes, not 29. I think this because the problem asks, “how many boxes will they need to hold ALL of their cookies? After sharing the example, ask students to independently brainstorm one example for each of the 4 types.
4. Give students time to share, write their ideas on the whiteboard, and have the class snap their fingers to applause.
Activity 3: Form Groups, Assign Jobs & Solve Division Problem (30
minutes)
1. Put students in groups of 4-5 any way that you would like!
2. Give each student in the group a designated job using the acronym TEAM to ensure that all are actively participating.
T=Timekeeper-manages how much time the groups spends on the task at hand, gives the group a heads up when time is running out.
E=Editor-acts as the group leader, and is in charge of making sure the group meets the project requirements, does the actual writing portion of the project
A=Assembler-puts all the pieces of the project together and assists the editor in making sure all of the requirements of the project are met
M=Mailman-in charge of going to get materials and bringing them back when the group is done using them, and delivering questions/messages to the teacher.
Explain the jobs and assign each group a designated place to work in the classroom.
3. Give each group an index card. Each index card should have four numbers written on them (divisor, dividend, quotient, remainder (created by the teacher)
Example of numbers that could be written on the index card: 456, 1, 7, 65 NOTE: the equation should have a remainder
4. The group must first work together to figure out which numbers represent each part of a division problem. Then each member of the group MUST solve the problem to check.
5. Once all group members have solved, the group needs to come to a consensus about the correct answer.
6. The group needs to signal to the teacher that they are finished and the teacher will check.
7. This concludes the first part of the lesson.
DAY 2
Activity 1: Writing a Story Problem (30 minutes)
Using the equation that the group solved on Day 1, students must write a word problem for each of the 4 ways to interpret a remainder. Story problems must be based on real-life situations.
Activity 2: Writing a Script (45 minutes)
1. Groups will pick one story problem (their favorite!) to write a script for. Their script must include all members of the group, include dialogue, and division vocabulary.
2. After writing their script, students will have time to create props (if needed) and practice acting out their story problem. (See attached rubric for script.)
DAY 3
Activity 1: Lights, Camera, Action! (45 minutes)
1. Give groups 5-10 minutes to practice their skit one more time.
2. Then have groups perform their skits by calling on volunteers.
3. The audience members should have their math notebooks and a pencil…they need to write down which of the 4 types the group was trying to act out once the skit has finished.
Activity 2: Reflection (15 minutes)
Ask students to evaluate each group by writing down two things the group did very well, and one thing that the group could improve upon. (See attached reflection.)
Differentiation Approaches
1. The designated group roles (TEAM)
2. Index card to help scaffold the development of a division story problem
3. Script outline and sentence starters to help groups who are having difficulty creating a skit
Assessment
1. Evaluate students based on the rubric given to each group at the beginning of the project.
2. Also use the “student reflections” to aid in the evaluation process.
Follow Up and Extension Ideas
1. Students could create a PowToon in technology based on their script.
2. These PowToons could be featured on Stingray Vision, or on the classroom website for parents to view
3. We could compare these PowToon videos to the ones they acted out in class. (compare mediums)Evaluate students based on the rubric given to each group at the beginning of the project.
Additional Details
- Grade Level: Fourth
- Arts Content Area: Theatre Arts, Visual Arts
- Non-Arts Content Area: English Language Arts, Math
