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LESSON PLAN

Factors, Multiples, GCF, and LCM

A
Apothem Team
Grade 6 · Number
LESSON AT A GLANCE
Warm-up
5 min
Explore
15 min
Consolidate
10 min
Practice
12 min
Exit ticket
3 min

Warm-up

Divisibility rules quiz: is 312 divisible by 2? (Yes: ends in even digit.) By 3? (Yes: 3+1+2=6, divisible by 3.) By 6? (Yes: divisible by both 2 and 3.) By 4? (Yes: last two digits 12 are divisible by 4.) By 9? (No: 3+1+2=6, not divisible by 9.) Divisibility rules as a rapid-fire warm-up.

Explore

Factor investigation: each group receives 4 numbers (e.g., 36, 48, 72, 120). Build factor trees for each, find prime factorizations, use Venn diagrams to find GCF for pairs, and find LCMs. Challenge: what is the relationship between GCF, LCM, and the original numbers?

Consolidate

Practice

Students build prime factorizations for 6 numbers, find GCF and LCM for 4 pairs, and solve 2 fraction problems requiring GCF (simplification) and LCM (addition). Exit ticket: GCF of 18 and 30?

Exit ticket

Students build prime factorizations for 6 numbers, find GCF and LCM for 4 pairs, and solve 2 fraction problems requiring GCF (simplification) and LCM (addition). Exit ticket: GCF of 18 and 30?

TIP  Factor trees do not have a unique structure but do have a unique result. Two different trees for 60 will reach the same prime factorization: 2^2 x 3 x 5. The uniqueness of prime factorization is worth stating explicitly.
WORKED EXAMPLES
Find the prime factorization of 84.

84 = 2 x 42 = 2 x 2 x 21 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 7 = 2^2 x 3 x 7.

Find the GCF and LCM of 24 and 36.

24 = 2^3 x 3. 36 = 2^2 x 3^2. GCF: min powers: 2^2 x 3 = 12. LCM: max powers: 2^3 x 3^2 = 72. Check: 12 x 72 = 864 = 24 x 36. Correct.

MATERIALS
Factor tree recording sheets
Venn diagram templates
Prime/composite classification charts
Divisibility rule reference cards
WATCH FOR
!Students may include 1 as a prime. It is not: primes must have exactly two distinct factors; 1 has only one factor (itself).
!Students may forget to take max powers for LCM, using the same logic as GCF. LCM uses MAX powers; GCF uses MIN powers.