Math lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 45 minutes
Long division with a decimal answer
Decimals and percentages
CCSS 6.NS.B.2CCSS 6.NS.B.3England: KS3 Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Long division with a decimal answer.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Long division fluently
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Place value chart with tenths and hundredths, Hundred squares, Number lines, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Long division fluently). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- 30 124 ÷ 68 = ? → 443Prompt: Use long division: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down.
- Work out 713 ÷ 8. Give an exact decimal answer. → 89.125Prompt: Divide to get the whole-number part, then continue past the decimal point by adding zeros.
- 17 908 ÷ 37 = ? → 484Prompt: Use long division: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down.
Hook · 5 min
- Show two prices or race times with decimals and ask which is bigger, then why.
- Share the objective: Long division with a decimal answer. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Work out 131 ÷ 2. Give the exact decimal answer.
- Step 1: 131 ÷ 2 = 65 remainder 1
- Step 2: 1 ÷ 2 = 0.5
- Step 3: 131 ÷ 2 = 65.5
- Answer: 65.5
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Work out 125 ÷ 16. Give the exact decimal answer. → 7.8125Prompt: Divide as normal. When there is a remainder, write a decimal point and a 0.
- Ben and friends share a bill of $47.01 equally between 5 people. How much does each person pay? Give the answer to the nearest cent. (Type the number only.) → 9.4Prompt: Divide 47.01 by 5.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Arjun and friends share a bill of $16.01 equally between 5 people. How much does each person pay? Give the answer to the nearest cent. (Type the number only.) → 3.2Prompt: Divide 16.01 by 5.
- Work out 89 ÷ 3, rounded to 2 decimal places. → 29.67Prompt: Work to 3 decimal places, then round.
Watch out for
- Thinking 0.45 is bigger than 0.5 because 45 is bigger than 5.
- Moving the digits the wrong way when multiplying or dividing by 10.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Long division fluently.
- Use concrete materials: place value chart with tenths and hundredths.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder