Division For Third Graders

Savannah Walker Mason School
4217 W. 18th Street
Chicago, Ill. 60623


To use measurement to demonstrate division.

Materials needed:

a meter stick
a ball of cord
a pair of scissors


Seat the class in pairs. Have one student measure and the other cut.

1. Measure and cut a piece of cord 110 cm long.
2. Start at one end of the cord and cut pieces that are 8 cm long.
Cut as many pieces as possible. Measure carefully.
3. Count the number of 8 cm pieces you have cut.
4. Measure the piece that is left over. It should measure 6 cm.

Repeat the process for other lengths of string.


110 / 8 = 13 r6.


For each division sentence, make and complete a table showing:

1. Length of single piece
2. Length of single pieces to be cut from single piece
3. Number of exact-size pieces that can be cut from single piece
4. Size of left-over piece (the remainder)
5. Division sentence (Give the division sentence this represents)

Repeat for the other examples.
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