Division with Decimal Fractions

One way to introduce the decimal blocks is to have the students do a division problem with the blocks that leads to a remainder. Then ask the students how they could continue to divide the remainder. If the single blocks were made of smaller blocks, then those smaller blocks could be distributed. Now, show the students the tenth and hundredth blocks, so that they can divide the remainder further.

	Start with a division problem. For example, 53/4.
	Each pile gets one block-of-10.
	The remaining block-of-10 needs to be opened. Now, there are 13 single blocks.
	Each pile gets 3 single blocks.
	There is a remainder of one single block. Can we continue to divide this block?
	Yes, one single block can be traded for ten tenth blocks.
	Each pile gets two tenth blocks. We now have a remainder of two tenth blocks.
	Now, the two tenth blocks can be traded for twenty hundredth blocks.
	Each pile gets five hundredth blocks.
	And we’re done. The answer is 13.25