Grandma's Cookie Production Company

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Students will be able to use the concept that the division sign means "put into sets of" and solve problems by predicting the number of sets from skip counting.

Big Idea



20 minutes

To warm the students up for a our math lesson, I have chosen a new math game called "I Have, Who Has. This game is similar to the "I Have, Who Has" multiplication game that my students enjoy, but using arrays instead of multiplication facts. I made this choice deliberately, as the students really need to be versed in multiplication and division being operations that are linked together.  I think that the use of arrays is ideal for this development. 

I am hoping that through today's lesson, many students will begin to understand that using their knowledge of equal groups in multiplication can help them solve division problems, as division essentially "undoes" multiplication.


10 minutes

My class has already heard and done an activity using the book "When the Doorbell Rang" by Pat Hutchins.  The students worked in that lesson to figure out how many cookies each number of visitors would get, assuming the total number cookies changes from that of the books.  

Today, I want to have them work as a "Production Company" for Grandma's Famous Cookies.  In this lesson, the students will be given different total numbers of cookies needed to be produced, based on the number of orders placed.

I gather the students to the common area and we review what happened in the book, as more and more visitors came.  The book ends with Grandma showing up with a huge tray of cookies, but the author doesn't tell us how many are on the tray.  This is where I will give them the idea of a cookie production company. 

I know that many of my students are counting out by ones, or dealing, in order to make equal groups. Others are using skip counting or known multiplication problems to divide.  This is fine, as the activity provides access/practice for all methods. 

Students, I think we need a Production Company for Grandma's Cookies!  I think the grandchildren could sell sets, or packages, of these cookies.  Our task today will be to help them create packages for the number of orders each day.  

Here, ask this question to get the students ready to think about the task.

What do we know about the number of items in a package? (They have equal number of items in each.)

Let's use these cubes as representations of cookies and these paper cups as the packages. What if we sell the cookies 5 per package?

How many cookies would we need to fill an order of 3 packages? Model the sorting and then the idea of using equal groups.

How many packages could we make if we had 25 cookies made already? Again, model the sorting and then the idea of using equal groups. 

Pass out the "order" sheet and explain the task for the partners. 

Active Engagement

25 minutes

As I send students off, I make sure they are working with partners with like, or close to, understanding of division concepts based on the journal entries from the prior lesson. I included five different strategy examples in the Reflection: How to Choose.

I have everyone begin with the same task, as I want to make sure that everyone has a deep understanding of each step.  It is easy as teachers, at times, to think that if a student answers something correctly, that they understand the concept.  

Sharing and Closure

15 minutes

I ask students to assume that cookies are packaged 6 to a bag.  I then ask them to write a story about their family ordering some cookies from Grandma.  I will leave it as open as that and ask the students to later share what they wrote. 

In doing this, the lesson is brought to a close with me knowing that the students can apply today's work to a real world concept…their family placing an order that will allow everyone to get the equal amount of cookies.  

When the students share with one another, their discussion about whether they agree or disagree with the stories will be another way for me to check understanding.