6th Grade Math Learning Activities

Learning Activity 1: (20 minutes)

Description: Answer the questions to the scenario below in your handout. 

1. Share your findings with your partner and discuss how you would answer John's suggestion as a pair. Write down specific words or phrases that you would use in your answer. 

2. Raise your hand to share your responses with Lincoln and have a discussion.

3. After your check-in with Lincoln check out this video:

Learning Activity 2: Visualizing the Division of Fractions (10 minutes)

Description: GeoGebra is a free computer program that uses your web browser to manipulate geometric shapes to model math quickly and accurately. Click the link below and raise your hand if there is any trouble accessing the program (you may have to enable Java).

GeoGebra Dividing Fractions Worksheet

Visually Understanding Fractional Division

1. How could GeoGebra help scholars understand partitive division?

2. How could bar modeling be used in the classroom to better understand fractional division?

Learning Activity 3: Lesson Study (15 minutes)

Description: Division problems, including fractional division problems, have only two forms:

1. Quotative (measurement): I have 35 apples to package in bags. I can fit 7 apples in each bag. How many bags can I fill?
2. Partitive (sharing): I have 35 apples to share equally among 7 people. How many apples does each person get?

We will explore how EngageNY begins to instruct scholars how to model the two different division problem types through bar modeling.

Materials: Read Lesson 2 of Module 2, pages 19-22

Directions: Read through the teacher lesson plan on pages 19-22. Solve the example problems as the guide instructs you. 

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is visual modelling with bar diagrams used in this lesson?

2. Why is it important to know the different types of division problems as a teacher? As a scholar?

3. Thinking of Learning Activity 1, what words or phrases would you look for as evidence of exemplary teacher understanding of the concept? 

4. What words or phrases would you look for as evidence of teacher misunderstanding of the concept?