Lesson Plan
Understanding the Leftovers
Students will be able to define what a remainder is in division, solve division problems with remainders, and interpret the meaning of remainders in various real-world scenarios.
Understanding remainders helps students grasp that math isn't always 'perfect' and that leftover quantities have meaning. This skill is crucial for problem-solving in everyday life, from sharing items fairly to calculating supplies.
Audience
3rd-5th Grade Students
Time
45-60 minutes
Approach
Through interactive slides, group activities, and practice problems, students will explore division with remainders.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector, Remainder Adventures Slide Deck, Remainder Story Problems Activity, Ranger's Remainder Missions Worksheet, Whiteboards and Markers (optional), and Manipulatives (e.g., counters, blocks)
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Remainder Adventures Slide Deck and practice the examples.
* Print or prepare to display the Ranger's Remainder Missions Worksheet.
* Gather any optional manipulatives like counters or blocks.
* Ensure all generated materials are reviewed as needed.
Step 1
Introduction: What's Left Over?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students about situations where things don't divide perfectly (e.g., sharing 7 cookies among 3 friends).
* Introduce the concept of a 'remainder' as what's left over. Use Remainder Adventures Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).
Step 2
Modeling Division with Remainders
15 minutes
- Using the Remainder Adventures Slide Deck (Slides 3-5), model several division problems with remainders using visual aids or manipulatives.
* Emphasize writing the remainder correctly.
* Engage students with guided practice problems as a whole class.
Step 3
Remainder Story Problems Activity
15 minutes
- Distribute or explain the Remainder Story Problems Activity.
* Divide students into small groups or pairs to work on the story problems.
* Circulate and assist students, prompting them to think about what the remainder means in each context. Use Remainder Adventures Slide Deck (Slide 6).
Step 4
Ranger's Remainder Missions Worksheet
10 minutes
- Have students work individually on the Ranger's Remainder Missions Worksheet for independent practice.
* Review answers as a class or collect for assessment. Use Remainder Adventures Slide Deck (Slide 7).
Step 5
Cool Down: What's Left?
5 minutes
- Conclude with the What's Left? Cool Down activity.
* Have students reflect on their learning and share one new thing they learned about remainders. Use Remainder Adventures Slide Deck (Slide 8).
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Welcome, Remainder Rangers!
Are you ready for an adventure into the world of division?
Sometimes when we divide, things don't split perfectly... and that's okay! We're here to understand what's left!
Welcome students and introduce the topic of division. Ask them if they've ever had something left over after trying to share equally.
What's a Remainder?
A remainder is the amount left over when one number cannot be divided exactly by another.
Think of it as the leftovers!
Example: If you have 7 cookies and 3 friends, how many cookies does each friend get evenly? What's left over?
Explain what a remainder is using a simple, relatable example like sharing cookies. Emphasize that it's the 'leftover' amount.
Dividing and Discovering Leftovers
Let's look at 10 ÷ 3.
How many groups of 3 can we make from 10 items?
- One group of 3 (10 - 3 = 7)
- Two groups of 3 (7 - 3 = 4)
- Three groups of 3 (4 - 3 = 1)
We made 3 groups, and we have 1 left over. So, 10 ÷ 3 = 3 R 1.
Introduce the standard notation for division with remainders. Work through a basic example step-by-step.
Another Remainder Riddle!
Imagine you have 15 pencils and want to put them into boxes that hold 4 pencils each.
How many full boxes can you make?
How many pencils will be left over?
15 ÷ 4 = ? R ?
Provide another example, perhaps using manipulatives (real or imagined) to visualize the concept.
What Does the Remainder MEAN?
The remainder isn't always just a number! It tells us important things.
- Sometimes you need to add another group (round up): If you need buses for 25 students and each bus holds 10, you need 3 buses (2 full, 1 for the 5 leftover).
- Sometimes you ignore it: If you're making cookies and have enough batter for 2 full batches and some leftover, you can't make a partial cookie!
- Sometimes it IS the answer: If 13 candies are shared among 3 friends, the remainder of 1 is the candy you get!
Discuss how to interpret remainders in real-world situations. Sometimes you need to round up, sometimes ignore, sometimes the remainder is the answer.
Your Mission: Remainder Story Problems!
You'll work in teams to solve real-world division problems with remainders.
Your goal: Don't just find the remainder, understand what it means in each story!
Introduce the Remainder Story Problems Activity. Explain that students will work in groups and need to think about what the remainder means for each problem.
Ranger's Remainder Missions
Now it's time for some independent practice!
Complete the Ranger's Remainder Missions Worksheet on your own. Show your work clearly and be ready to discuss your answers!
Explain the worksheet activity for independent practice.
What's Left? Cool Down
Think about our adventure today.
- What's one new thing you learned about remainders?
- Can you think of another time you might encounter a remainder in real life?
Share your thoughts with a partner or the class!
Lead the cool-down activity, asking students to reflect on their learning and share insights.
Activity
Remainder Story Problems
Instructions: Read each story problem carefully. Solve the division problem and then explain what the remainder means in the context of the story. Show your work!
Mission 1: The Great Cookie Share
There are 23 cookies that need to be shared equally among 4 friends. How many cookies does each friend get? How many cookies are left over?
Division Problem:
What does the remainder mean in this story?
Mission 2: Packing for the Trip
A teacher has 30 students going on a field trip. Each car can hold 7 students. How many cars are needed to take all the students? (Think about the leftovers!)
Division Problem:
What does the remainder mean in this story?
Mission 3: Building Blocks
You have 45 building blocks, and you want to make towers that are 6 blocks tall. How many full towers can you make? How many blocks will be left over?
Division Problem:
What does the remainder mean in this story?
Mission 4: Party Pizzas
There are 17 slices of pizza. Each person wants 3 slices. How many people can get 3 slices of pizza? How many slices will be left over?
Division Problem:
What does the remainder mean in this story?
Worksheet
Ranger's Remainder Missions
Name: _________________________ Date: _____________
Instructions: Solve each division problem. Write the quotient and the remainder using "R". Then, for the story problems, explain what the remainder means.
Part 1: Division Practice
- 14 ÷ 3 =
- 25 ÷ 4 =
- 37 ÷ 5 =
- 43 ÷ 6 =
- 50 ÷ 7 =
- 29 ÷ 8 =
Part 2: Remainder Ranger Story Challenges
-
A baker made 35 cupcakes. He wants to put them into boxes that hold 6 cupcakes each. How many full boxes can he make, and how many cupcakes will be left over?
Answer:
What does the remainder mean? -
There are 20 students who want to play a game, and the game requires teams of 3. How many full teams can be formed? How many students will be left out of a team?
Answer:
What does the remainder mean? -
Sarah has 40 stickers. She wants to give 9 stickers to each of her friends. To how many friends can Sarah give 9 stickers? How many stickers will she have left for herself?
Answer:
What does the remainder mean?
Cool Down
What's Left? Cool Down
Name: _________________________ Date: _____________
Instructions: Take a moment to reflect on what you learned about remainders today.
-
In your own words, what is a remainder?
-
Describe one real-world situation where a remainder might be important, and explain why.
-
Circle the answer that best describes how you feel about solving problems with remainders now:
- I still need a lot of help.
- I understand most of it, but sometimes I get stuck.
- I feel confident and can explain it to a friend!
-
What is one question you still have about remainders, or one thing you'd like to practice more?
Answer Key
Remainder Story Problems Answer Key
Mission 1: The Great Cookie Share
There are 23 cookies that need to be shared equally among 4 friends. How many cookies does each friend get? How many cookies are left over?
Division Problem: 23 ÷ 4 = 5 R 3
What does the remainder mean in this story? Each friend gets 5 cookies. There are 3 cookies left over that cannot be shared equally among the 4 friends without cutting them. These 3 cookies might be saved for later or eaten by the person doing the sharing.
Mission 2: Packing for the Trip
A teacher has 30 students going on a field trip. Each car can hold 7 students. How many cars are needed to take all the students? (Think about the leftovers!)
Division Problem: 30 ÷ 7 = 4 R 2
What does the remainder mean in this story? Four cars will be full with 7 students each. The remainder of 2 means there are 2 students left over who still need a ride. Therefore, an additional car is needed for these 2 students, meaning a total of 5 cars are needed.
Mission 3: Building Blocks
You have 45 building blocks, and you want to make towers that are 6 blocks tall. How many full towers can you make? How many blocks will be left over?
Division Problem: 45 ÷ 6 = 7 R 3
What does the remainder mean in this story? You can make 7 full towers that are 6 blocks tall. There will be 3 blocks left over that are not enough to make another full tower.
Mission 4: Party Pizzas
There are 17 slices of pizza. Each person wants 3 slices. How many people can get 3 slices of pizza? How many slices will be left over?
Division Problem: 17 ÷ 3 = 5 R 2
What does the remainder mean in this story? Five people can get 3 slices of pizza each. There will be 2 slices of pizza left over after everyone who wanted 3 slices has taken them.
Answer Key
Ranger's Remainder Missions Answer Key
Part 1: Division Practice
- 14 ÷ 3 = 4 R 2
- 25 ÷ 4 = 6 R 1
- 37 ÷ 5 = 7 R 2
- 43 ÷ 6 = 7 R 1
- 50 ÷ 7 = 7 R 1
- 29 ÷ 8 = 3 R 5
Part 2: Remainder Ranger Story Challenges
-
A baker made 35 cupcakes. He wants to put them into boxes that hold 6 cupcakes each. How many full boxes can he make, and how many cupcakes will be left over?
Answer: 35 ÷ 6 = 5 R 5. He can make 5 full boxes, and 5 cupcakes will be left over.
What does the remainder mean? The 5 leftover cupcakes are not enough to fill another box of 6. They might be sold individually or eaten by the baker. -
There are 20 students who want to play a game, and the game requires teams of 3. How many full teams can be formed? How many students will be left out of a team?
Answer: 20 ÷ 3 = 6 R 2. 6 full teams can be formed, and 2 students will be left out of a team.
What does the remainder mean? The 2 leftover students are not enough to form another full team of 3. They might have to wait for the next round or join existing teams as helpers. -
Sarah has 40 stickers. She wants to give 9 stickers to each of her friends. To how many friends can Sarah give 9 stickers? How many stickers will she have left for herself?
Answer: 40 ÷ 9 = 4 R 4. Sarah can give stickers to 4 friends, and she will have 4 stickers left for herself.
What does the remainder mean? The 4 leftover stickers are what Sarah keeps for herself after giving 9 stickers to each of her 4 friends.