Multifaceted Number Concepts 203Successful Strategies
Prime factorization helps students identify and understand
prime and composite numbers because students are able to
see how numbers are decomposed using multiplication and
division. When making a factor tree, encourage students
to continue fi nding factors until all the factors are prime
numbers. When students are ready, encourage them to record
the prime factorization with exponents.
prime number, composite
number, factor,
factorization, factor tree,
divisibleMath Words to Use
Questions at Different Levels of Cognitive Demand
Recall: Is 5 a prime number?
Comprehension: Why is 10 a composite number?
Application: How would you show the prime
factorization of 8?
Analysis: How would you compare the prime and
composite numbers?
Evaluation: What is the value in knowing how to make
a factor tree?
Synthesis: What if we needed to show prime
factorization without a factor tree?EASYCOMPLEX