Fun with division

Students will learn division concepts through the use of The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins and a poem entitled "Dividing up Bugs." Students will be involved in hands on activities in order to gain an understanding of division. This lesson plan integrates communication skills, math, and technology.

A lesson plan for grade 3 English Language Arts and Mathematics

By Grace Blythe

Learn more

Related pages

• Yarns, whoppers, and tall tales: The following lessons will introduce students to characteristics of tall tales and help them develop an appreciation of this genre of American fiction. They will practice writing summaries from information they have gathered and organized. They will plan and write their own tall tales.
• Mystery: Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective: This is a three part lesson on mysteries using the novel Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald Sobol.
• Whole language reading: Pumpkin pie baking activity: A whole language literature-based reading lesson that culminates in a cooking extension activity.

Related topics

• Learn more about The Doorbell Rang, division, language arts, literature, mathematics, read-alouds, and text interaction.

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

Learning outcomes

The students will:

• have an understanding of division.
• practice listening/predicting skills as the book is read to them.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

• The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins
• The Doorbell Rang worksheet
• PowerPoint presentation
• At least 12 cookies (can be real chocolate chip cookies or paper ones)
• Bell

Technology resources

You will need a video projector or AverKey in order to show the PowerPoint presentation on division.

Pre-activities

Students need to know their multiplication facts. Read The Doorbell Rang once for students so they are familiar with the story before starting the activity.

Activities

1. Begin by selecting 13 volunteers to “act” as you are reading the story. Tell each of the students the name of the character that he or she will be. One student will be the doorbell ringer. (Instruct the doorbell ringer to ring the bell each time you read “as the doorbell rings.”) Instruct the actors/actresses to come up front when they hear their name in the book.
2. Read The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. Have two students start up at the front. These two students will have to divide the 12 cookies up between themselves. Each time the doorbell rings, more students come up. Each time students need to divide the cookies among themselves. As students divide these cookies up, you can demonstrate on the board how to model what they are doing (ex: Model 12 divided by 2).
3. You may want to read the book the second time and have different students “act” this time so that everyone has the opportunity.
4. Discuss with students what they have just done; model some problems on the board.
5. Have students complete The Doorbell Rang worksheet. Students will use this sheet to model division as they are showing how many cookies each of the children got in the story each time that the doorbell rang.
6. Closure review how to divide by presenting the PowerPoint presentation--this is interactive.

Assessment

Students will be able to model division problems on their The Doorbell Rang worksheets.

Supplemental information

• You many want to divide this plan into 2 days.
• Overview of The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins:
  In this tale, two children visit their grandmother who has made cookies to share. However, once they sit down to eat, the doorbell rings and rings and rings. Each time the children must divide the cookies among more and more people.