Dividing by Two-Digit Numbers

Focus
Extending ideas to two-digit divisors

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fter working through the previous sections, students can divide any number by a single-digit number. The next step is to extend their thinking to dividing by multidigit numbers. Students will find this step easy when they use the blocks. The physical process is exactly the same as for single-digit divisors. The recording scheme is also the same, and again assumes an understanding of reading the code to any place (section 1-7). For example, in dividing 836 by 13, the student should recognize that the number 836 contains 83 tens. Before proceeding with general two-digit divisors, you may want to make sure that students have the number sense and mental computation skills to divide by multiples of 10. Specifically, students should be able to extend their use of basic facts to find the answers to examples such as 560 70. This ability allows students to estimate and to check the reasonableness of answers to examples such as 563 69.

Dividing by Ten
Students may already have ways of understanding division by 10. For example, they may recognize the relationship between multiplication and division and know that since 10 6 = 60, then 60 10 = 6. At this point, students should also recognize that the number of tens in 60 is 6, from reading the code to the tens place. Problems based on the repeated subtraction or how many groups model of division make the relationship clear. Have students find 320 10. Some students may represent 320 with the blocks, remove the covers from the blocks-of-100, and count all the blocksof-10. Others might make 10 equal groups. This provides a good opportunity to remind students that the answer is the same whether they make groups of 10 or 10 groups. Ask,

Which way is easier? Why?

If no one suggests reading the code to the tens place, provide additional examples and have students record the related number sentences. Then ask,

Do you see any patterns that can help you to find the answers without using the blocks?
Encourage students to form a generalization about how to divide by 10, stated in their own words and from their own discovery, to this effect: When any number is divided by 10, the result is a number with the same exact digits, only shifted
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one place to the right. Then have students extend their thinking to find 1200 10, 2540 10 and 38,460 10. For a greater challenge, ask students to use the generalization to find 367 10. Some may recognize the remainder of 7, while others will just see the 36 tens. This is fine for now. In later years they will extend their ideas to decimal notation and recognize the answer as 36.7. You may want to extend this idea to dividing by 100. Proceed in a similar manner. In this case we read the code to the hundreds place, or shift the digits two places to the right.

Dividing by Multiples of 10
Have students find 80 2 and 80 20. Again, it is easier to make groups of 20 than 20 equal groups. Once students agree that the answers are 40 and 4, ask, What do you notice about these answers? (Once again, the digits shift one place to the right when you divide by tens.) Have students model a variety of other expressions such as 90 30 and 120 40. Again, students will find that they can divide as if by ones and then shift the digits one place to the right. Have students apply this thinking to other examples. Ask,

How can you find 450 50? What about 2400 30?
Encourage students to state a generalization and relate it to the generalization they formed for multiplying by tens. For example, they might note that when they multiply by a multiple of 10, they multiply as if by ones and then shift the digits one place to the left. When they divide by a multiple of ten, they divide as if by ones and then shift the digits one place to the right. Challenge students to find 15,000 30 and explain their thinking. Again, you may want to extend these ideas to multiples of 100. The next step is learning how to divide by any two-digit number.

Modeling Division of Two-Digit Numbers

Given enough workspace, students can model any division example. It is important for them to recognize that the process is exactly the same for two-digit divisors. Present an example such as 288 12 and have students distribute the blocks to form 12 equal groups. When students represent the problem with the blocks, the process becomes clear. Ask questions such as:
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Can you give a block-of-100 to each group? How many blocks-of-10 will you have after unpacking?
Repeat for other examples such as 468 13, 180 15, and 158 11.

Using Paper-and-Pencil Techniques

Recording schemes for examples with two-digit divisors are the same as those for one-digit divisors. Again, the emphasis is on keeping track of the number of blocks in each place. Recording on graph paper can be helpful. Have students work with the blocks as they record what they are doing. Ask questions such as,

How many hundreds can you give to each group? How many hundreds have you given out in all? How many hundreds are left? What will you do with these blocks?
If you want students to use the traditional written algorithm, be sure that they connect their recordings with their physical actions with the blocks.

64 R 4 ) 13 836 78 56 52 4

8 hundreds cannot be shared. When unpacked, there are 83 tens, 6 tens are given to each group, using 78 tens. 5 tens remain; when unpacked, there are 56 ones. 4 ones are given to each group, using 52 ones. 4 single blocks are left over.

While many people rely on calculators for multidigit computation, understanding the division process helps students to check the reasonableness of the answers. Present story problems such as the following, which asks students for an estimation of the answer:

The school has 2200 blocks. The blocks will be shared among 12 classrooms. Are there enough blocks to give each classroom 200 blocks?
When students think about the blocks, this is quite obvious. There will be 22 blocks-of-100. They can give each group (each classroom) 1 block-of-100, but not 2.

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Practicing Key Ideas
Using Division Facts
In pairs, students choose a basic division fact (for example, 42 7 = 6). Then they write a list of other division sentences they know based on this fact. (In this case, they might write 420 7 = 60, 420 70 = 6, 4200 70 = 60, and so on.)

More Than 9
Have students work in pairs. One student picks a two-digit number. Then together they identify three numbers that they can divide the chosen number by and get a quotient that is greater than 9. Students then record the related number sentences.

Assessing Learning
1. Present 170 10. Ask the student to find the answer and explain his or her thinking. Does the student work abstractly or use the blocks? find the correct answer? clearly explain his or her thinking? 2. Repeat for 2800 70. Does the student work abstractly or use the blocks? find the correct answer? clearly explain his or her thinking? 3. Present 397 14. Ask the student to show you how to find the quotient using the blocks and to explain his or her thinking. Does the student model the example correctly? find the correct answer? clearly explain his or her thinking? 4. Present a story problem that invites estimation and have the student explain his or her thinking. For example:

Mr. Sanchez has 1850 blocks to share with 30 students. Does he have enough blocks to give each student 70 blocks?
Does the student find the correct answer? reason correctly? clearly explain his or her thinking?

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