Lesson Plan Course: Math 6
Resource(s):Nelson
Big Mathematical Idea/Concept: Numbers and Operations/factoring
Indicators that will be met
Learning Outcome(s)
g) Explain how the composite factors of a
whole number can be determined from the
prime factors of the whole number and vice
versa.
(Target)
N6.2 Demonstrate understanding of factors and multiples (concretely,
pictorially, and symbolically) including:
 determining factors and multiples of numbers less than 100
 relating factors and multiples to multiplication and division
 determining and relating prime and composite numbers
 solving situational questions.
Learning Goal: Students will be able to: Explain how the composite factors of a whole
number can be determined from the prime factors of the whole number and vice versa.
Assessment: Formative (How will you check for understanding?) Summative: What will your
assessment look like for this outcome?
Check for understanding of “prime” and “composite”.
Mathematical processes that will be
met/employed (CM,CN,ME,PS,T,R,V)
ME, CM, CN, R
Technology Required?
Differentiation: Students could do smaller
numbers. Students can peer teach.
Extensions/enrichment: Prime factors of larger
numbers, represented with exponents
Land measure: quarter section
Question: could you use prime factors to
determine if a number is a perfect square? Its
square root?
Teaching materials: Handouts, manipulatives?
Square tiles so the students can make arrays.
Lesson Outline:
Prerequisite Knowledge: Understood or requires review (preassessment)? Advance planner?
Review terminology: Prime. Composite. We can do this as a pair talk activity.
Motivational Set: Pair talk: Prime number vs Composite numbers
Activity: make rectangular array of 12 tiles. Can you make one different from your
neighbors.?
What are the possible dimensions?
How many possible arrays are there?
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Development (including examples) (attach lesson notes if necessary. Consider student
interaction before, during, and after)
Time?
1. Introduction to the activity. I Can statement (learning target)
2. Prep pair talk. Discuss reasons for communication in math. We are listening for
mathematical dialogue: Multiply, not timesing. Factors, numbers, product, etc.
Everyone needs a chance to speak.
Pair talk: Explain the difference between a prime number and a composite number. Can
you give examples? Can a number be both prime and composite?
Every number can divide by one and by itself.
What is a Prime Number: Has exactly two factors: One and itself.
3. Numbers that have more than two factors are Composite numbers
Debate: Is two a prime number? Is 1?
4. 4. Choose one partner to come get some square tiles. Each pair is to make a
rectangular array of 12. Can you make one different than your partner?
5. Share. Teacher records numbers on board. From this can we determine how many
possible rectangles there are? See if you can figure it out. Is a 2X6 array different than
6X2?
6. How can I find all the factors of a number? Which of the factors are prime?
7. Teach explicitly: How to find the factors of a number: Factor “rainbow” finds pairs of
factors.
Some factors are composite. If we want to break a number down into its building blocks
we find its “Prime factors”. Can they find the prime factors of 12?
Teach explicitly: Factor tree, repeated addition. Usually we list all the prime factors of a
number, so that when we multiply them together we get the number.
Two things we are doing here: 1) finding all possible factors (all different numbers that
will divide in to a number) and 2) finding prime factors. How are these two processes
related? Teams: Team one: find all factors of 36 Team 2: find all prime factors of 36.
List on board. Could we use the prime factors to find all the factors? Could we use the
composite factors to find the prime factors?
When we find all the factors of 12, can we multiply them all together to get 12?
When we find the prime factors of 12 can we multiply them together to get 12?
Why do we not list “1” when we list the prime factors?
Debate questions: How can you tell that 32 and 95 are composite numbers without
factoring them?
A student said: All prime numbers except for the number two are odd. Agree or
disagree? So all odd numbers must be prime numbers. Do you agree or disagree?
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Actions: (Model, group, pair, individual guided practice. Opportunities to respond?)
Partner talk, think pair share. Also group work with factoring.
Connections: What are prime numbers used for?
Summary: (exit slip? ) Summary: What do the questions look like?
Find all the factors of 12.
Find the prime factors of 12.
Exit slip. List all the factors of 72. List the prime factors of 72.
Assignment/homework
Reflection?
Notes:
Tomorrow’s lesson could be common factors. If they list the factors of, say, 48 and 36, they
can find which factors are common between these things. Venn diagrams, showing common
factors in the intersection. Connect: What do common factors have to do with simplifying
fractions?
Links: http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me5l/html/math5.html?goLesson=2
http://www.teacherled.com/resources/primefactors/primefactorload.html
http://www.ixl.com/math/grade-6/identify-factors
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=12
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mesg/html/math6web/index.html?page=lessons&lesso
n=m6lessonshell07.swf
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?id=64
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