Factors Lesson Plan

---

Abstract

Students will learn how to factor numbers by using manipulatives and computer applets.

Standards(NCTM 3-5)

Number and Operations

Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

• describe classes of numbers according to characteristics such as the nature of their factors.

Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another

• understand the effects of multiplying and dividing whole numbers;
• identify and use relationships between operations, such as division as the inverse of multiplication, to solve problems;

Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates

• develop fluency in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole

Student Prerequisites

• Technological:
  
  Students must be able to:
  • perform basic mouse manipulations such as point, click and drag.
  • use a browser such as Netscape for experimenting with the activities.

Teacher Preparation

Students will need:

• access to a browser.
• access to pencil and paper.

Lesson Outline

1. Focus and Review
• Pass out 2 pieces of graph paper to each student.
• Instruct the students to draw all possible rectangles with an area of 10 squares.
• The students should draw squares with dimensions of 1x10, 2x5, 5x2, and 10x1.
• Call on several students to draw their rectangles on the board.
• Next, instruct the students to draw all possible rectangles with an area of 24 squares.
• Continue having the students draw rectangles for different size areas until they recognize that there is a connection between the dimensions of the rectangles and the area of the rectangles.
• Call on a student to explain this connection to the class.

2. Objectives
Students will demonstrate their ability to list the factors for different numbers.


3. Teacher Input
• Explain to the class the term factor.

4. Guided Practice
• Work a few problems with the class demonstrating how to using the Factorize and the Factorize 2 applets.

5. Independant Practice
• Instruct the students to work 10 computer generated problems from each applet.

6. Closure
Review the term factor and some different methods that can be used to find the factors of a given number.

---