Rich tasks
This is an open-ended activity that requires students to write questions which may be solved using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. The task can be given at the start of a topic and done as the students gain enough understanding to complete it or given as a homework task.
In the bush
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1. In the bush
- Teachers may choose to pair students for each writing section so that they can support each other with the literacy demands of the task. Each pair could then swap the questions and stories they have composed with another pair, who could answer each question either independently or with their partner.
- This link takes you to Teacher Resource Sheet 24 - Check list for 'In the bush' with a checklist for each part of the task. This sheet could be displayed or given to students, so they can monitor their progress through the task.
Multiplication and division page 134
- Solve division problems by equal sharing or making equal groups.
- Know that division problems can be solved by repeated subtraction or using a corresponding multiplication fact.
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Teacher notes
- Deciding whether to multiply of divide can be a difficult decision for students. It is helpful to encourage students to ask:
• Are equal groups being joined to find a whole? (Multiplication)
• Is a group being shared or separated into equal parts? (Division) - Drawing, acting or using materials may also help students to decide.
- The loopy cards Printable Master - Game - Loopy cards (3 pages) for the game, Loopy, on page 135 of the Student Resource Book provide practice of this skill and make two loops of 15 cards each.
Which operation? page 136
- Understand whether addition, subtraction, multiplication or division are needed to solve a problem.
- Use the appropriate operation or combination of operations to solve a problem.
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Teacher notes
- Students at this level often find deciding which operation is needed to solve a problem more difficult than the calculations involved.
- It is very important that students find ways to record their thinking using equations (with support from pictures or diagrams if necessary), so that any incorrect answers can be traced back by the teacher to determine whether students have misunderstood the problem and chosen the wrong operation or have miscalculated.
