Lesson - Determining if a word problem is asking for multiplication or division.

I can decide if a problem is a division or multiplication problem

Materials:

-Whiteboard

-whiteboard markers

-student whiteboard

-crayons

-Word Problem Key Words song

-computer

-projector

Engage:

The teacher writes two brief math word problems on the board.

Jenny has 7 cats. Each cat has 3 mouse toys. How many mouse toys are there in all?

Jenny has 42 pounds of dog food. She has 6 dogs. If she gives all of the pounds of dog food to the

dogs for dinner in equal amounts, how many pounds of dog food will each dog get?

The teacher explains that the class will have a race to see who can determine which of these questions

is asking for multiplication and which one is asking for division.

The teacher then plays the Word Problem Key Words song for kids emphasizing which words indicate

multiplication: product, times and division: equal parts, quotient.

Explore:
The teacher organizes students into pairs by counting off from 1 and 2. They must work together to

determine which question is asking for which operation. They have ten minutes to think about it. They

may use their personal whiteboards and markers to write or draw anything that will help them.

Explain:

The teacher then asks students to share what they have found. They not only ask students which

question requires which operation but how to explain what helped them to decide that quickly.

Elaborate:

The teacher offers his own tip on how to determine which operation to use for what kind of word

problem by illustrating aspects of each of the previous questions. He invites seven students to the front

of the room, giving them three crayons each. Then he asks the students if they know the total amount of

toys that all of the cats have? No, so they have to multiply to find the total. He goes to his giant white

paper board and writes this as a rule: If there is no total amount in the story problem - multiply to get

the answer. Then, the teacher takes all of the crayons back from the students and has one sit down. He

gathers 42 crayons in a pile on his teachers desk. He then asks students if they know the total amount.

Yes! He asks them what operation it is. Division! and he walks to the whiteboard to write down

what they said, If there is a total amount in the story problem - divide to get the answer.

Evaluate:

Students will write their own story problem and can choose whether it is a division or multiplication

problem. When they finish they will switch with their partner to solve their story problems and trade

back to make sure they are correct. Several students will also be called on to read their story problems

and explain how they solved them to the entire class. These will be turned in for the teacher to use as a

formative assessment.