Let’s move into dividing this week with a 6th grade benchmark MA.6.NSO.2.2.
Notice that in grade 6 we no longer have a specific strand for Fractions; all rational numbers are included in the Number Sense and Operations strand!
Save Wylie’s Weekly Problem below to use with your students:
How can we support students in learning this concept?
Before students see this problem:
In 5th grade, students divided a whole number by a unit fraction and a unit fraction by a whole number.
Remind students about this concept with this just-in-time review problem:
Students can create a model to represent one half:
Divide the half into three pieces:
Extend the segments through the entire model to see we now have sixths:
See we only want 1 of those pieces since we started with one half divided into three. So,
Give students this problem:
Give students time to think about the problem and come up with some models that represent the problem; encourage students to use other methods if those work best for them (i.e. number lines).
Have a few students share models with the whole group, recording the model on the board; ask students if they believe the models represent the problem or not; an example of a series of models is shown:
Give students this problem:
Once the class decides on a correct model representation, ask for the quotient. Students may struggle with this and try to give the answer 6/16 rather than 6.
Try rephrasing the quotient as the question “how many one-sixteenths are in three-eighths” to show that there are 6 full one-sixths in three-eighths.
After students see this problem:
In grade 6 we are working towards procedural fluency with all fraction multiplication and division. Students may find making models for larger fractions cumbersome, so give students some time and problems to explore any algorithms for dividing fractions (i.e. multiply by the reciprocal).
Students may also benefit from additional work dividing fractions using number lines depending on their comfort level with models. Encourage students to use methods that work best for them rather than rushing them towards an algorithm that may be difficult for them to understand or remember.
Here are a few problems to continue practicing with students!
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