At the beginning of our division
unit we started to review the “special” properties of division. These include
the zero property and identity property.
These simple facts of x divided by 1 and 0 divided by x have been
drilled into our student’s heads. However, it is evident some of them don’t
understand the actual meaning of these rules.
In class my mentor teacher asked the students to solve various problems
that had the same property, and then write a rule for the series of problems.
As I worked
with one student in particular, I realized that she did not understand the
difference between the two properties.
When asked what the answer to five divided by one was, she
responded with one. When asked about five divided by zero or zero
divided that five, she responded to zero for both questions.
I think it
would be beneficial to use a manipulative in this case to show her how to
divide a certain number into zero groups, one group, or into the same number of
groups. Creating a visual would help her
understand more in depth what she was working with.
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