Divide & Conquer: Math Quest Adventures

4th Grade Project 1 week

Divide & Conquer: Math Quest Adventures

Amber Cole

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.1

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.2

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.3

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Purpose

This project engages 4th-grade students in mastering division through interactive and collaborative experiences. By designing and playing a board game, students apply division in real-world contexts, enhancing their understanding of multistep word problems. The Division Escape Room challenge and Student-Led Math Workshop further deepen their skills, encouraging critical thinking, creativity, and peer teaching. These activities ensure students can confidently use division strategies and assess solution reasonableness, aligning with Common Core standards.

Learning goals

Students will develop strategies to effectively use division in multistep word problems, ensuring solutions are reasonable through estimation and mental computation. They will learn to represent division problems using drawings and equations, enhancing their understanding of multiplicative comparisons. Through designing and playing board games, students will demonstrate their grasp of division concepts, while the Division Escape Room challenge will encourage teamwork and critical thinking skills.

Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.1 - Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations.
CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.2 - Multiply or divide to solve word problems involving multiplicative comparison, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem, distinguishing multiplicative comparison from additive comparison.
CCSS.Math.Content.4.OA.A.3 - Solve multistep word problems posed with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four operations, including problems in which remainders must be interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

Products

Students will collaboratively create a board game that incorporates division problems and multistep word challenges, serving as a tangible product of their learning. Throughout the project, they will also develop visual representations and equations for division problems, compiling these into a class "Division Strategy Booklet." By the end of the week, students will showcase their board games and strategy booklets during a 'Student-Led Math Workshop,' where they will teach and engage younger peers in the concepts of division.

Launch

Kick off the project with an immersive 'Division Escape Room' challenge. Students will work in teams to solve engaging division puzzles and multistep word problems, unlocking clues that lead them through the escape room. This activity fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and excitement about using division in real-world scenarios, setting the stage for the week's learning journey.

Exhibition

At the conclusion of the project, students will host a 'Student-Led Math Workshop' where they will guide younger peers through playing the board games they've designed. Each game will incorporate division problems and strategies, allowing students to demonstrate their understanding and application of division in multistep word problems. This exhibition will foster peer learning, encourage collaboration, and provide an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills in a real-world context.

Plan

Week 1	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4
Activities	Division Escape Room Challenge - Students collaborate to solve division puzzles and multistep word problems, unlocking clues to advance in the escape room while fostering teamwork and critical thinking (45 min)	Introduction to Division Concepts - Explore the essential question by discussing strategies for division in multistep word problems, using drawings and equations for representation (20 min) Designing Board Game Framework - In groups, students outline the basic structure and rules of a board game that incorporates division problems, setting the foundation for their project (25 min)	Creating Division Strategy Booklet - Students individually develop visual representations and equations based on division problems, compiling these into a class booklet for collective reference (20 min) Board Game Development - Groups continue designing their board games, integrating division problems and strategies, emphasizing creativity and application of learned concepts (25 min)	Finalizing Board Games - Groups complete their board games, ensuring all division elements are accurately represented and ready for play (20 min) Preparation for Student-Led Math Workshop - Students rehearse explaining and teaching their board games to younger peers, focusing on division concepts and strategies (25 min)
Deliverables	1. Division Escape Room completion, with each student successfully solving at least 3 division puzzles. 2. Collaborative creation of a board game draft, including division problems and rules of play. 3. A class 'Division Strategy Booklet' containing visual representations and equations for division problems designed by students.
Preparation	1. Prepare Division Escape Room materials: clues, puzzles, and multistep word problems related to division. 2. Gather board game materials: blank game boards, dice, game pieces, cards, and art supplies for students to design their games. 3. Collect resources for creating the 'Division Strategy Booklet': blank paper, markers, colored pencils, and examples of division problem formats. 4. Organize space for collaborative workstations and ensure access to calculators for checking division problem solutions. 5. Prepare guidelines and templates for students to draft their board game rules and division problem cards.