The worksheet titled "Using Mental Math to Divide Decimals and Powers of Ten" gives students the opportunity to practice their mental math skills. Division problems include a decimal number up to a total of five digits. Some problems ask students to find the answer, while others ask them to fill in the divisor. The divisor in each problem is a power of 10, so students can practice moving the decimal to get the answer. Each problem is displayed horizontally, like 784.5 ÷ 100 = and 0.51 ÷ ____ = 0.051.

Three additional division problems are included at the bottom of the page that don't include powers of ten. Dividends are decimal numbers, and divisors are whole numbers, with each problem displayed with a division bracket. There is plenty of space on the remainder of the page for students to solve the problem and write down each step of the process.

Practicing mental math strategies helps students build their understanding and confidence. When incorporating powers of ten, students are learning about the basis of our number system, including real-world applications, like moving between measurements in the metric system.

Display problems on worksheets horizontally to encourage students to complete them mentally. For example, division problems should use the division symbol, like 992.7 ÷ 100. Incorporate powers of ten that are manageable for your students, depending on their level of understanding. So, you might begin with division problems that include 10 and 100. As their understanding grows, you can try larger numbers, like 1,000, or even smaller numbers, like 0.1.

You can encourage new ways of thinking by asking students to find the divisor and dividend in a problem, in addition to the answer. For example, students might solve a problem like 0.65 ÷ ___ = 0.065 or ___ ÷ 100 = 82.159. As students are learning, they could double-check their answers with a buddy and work through problems together if they get different answers.