Center Focus

Division with Models

  1. You will need base ten blocks, small squares of construction paper, and a list of several division problems for this center. You will also want to post directions for this activity. This is a perfect math center activity to be used after you have done a whole class introduction to the concept of division.
  2. The first step for each problem is to show the total number of pieces to be divided using the base ten blocks. For example, in the problem 567 / 44, they will show 5 hundreds, 6 tens, and 7 ones.
  3. Since these pieces need to be shared evenly among 4 sets, they will then lay out 4 pieces of construction paper.
  4. Starting with the large pieces first (hundreds in this case), they will distribute pieces among the four different sets. They will trade as necessary until they finish.
  5. They should record their answers above the division bracket in the correct place-value columns. They can simply write the remainder as R and then the number left over.
  6. Students should check their answers using multiplication.