Question: how would you advice a 5 year old to calculate $252 \times \frac{1}{6}$ without using a calculator
1. Let's start by understanding the problem: we want to find out what $252 \times \frac{1}{6}$ means.
2. Multiplying by $\frac{1}{6}$ means we want to find one part out of six equal parts of $252$.
3. So, we need to divide $252$ into $6$ equal groups and find how many are in one group.
4. To make it easy, think of $252$ as $240 + 12$ because $240$ and $12$ are easier to divide by $6$.
5. Now, divide $240$ by $6$: $240 \div 6 = 40$ because $6 \times 40 = 240$.
6. Next, divide $12$ by $6$: $12 \div 6 = 2$ because $6 \times 2 = 12$.
7. Now, add the two results: $40 + 2 = 42$.
8. So, $252 \times \frac{1}{6} = 42$.
This way, by breaking the number into smaller parts, it's easier to divide without a calculator!