M2.3.3 For the adult
Sharing and grouping
I have 12 beans for 3 friends. How many beans does each friend get?
What this chapter teaches
Division has two meanings. Sharing asks how many each, and grouping asks how many groups. Both use the ÷ sign, and 12 ÷ 4 = 3 either way, but the 3 means something different each time.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- How would you share 12 beans between 3 people?
- How would you find how many groups of 4 are in 20?
- Why is the answer to 12 ÷ 4 the same whether you share or group?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Share 12 things equally and write 12 ÷ 3 = 4
- Find how many groups of 4 are in 20
What they copy into their notebook
Sharing: deal out one at a time. 12 ÷ 3 = 4 means 4 each. Grouping: how many groups of 4 are in 20? Count in 4s. That is 5.