Fractions:IntrotoEquivalentFractions

by:RachelLincoln 3rdGradeMath
(60minutes)

Standards:
CaliforniaCommonCoreforMath
NumberandOperationsFractions:Developunderstandingoffractionsasnumbers
.
3.1.Understandafraction1/
b
asthequantityformedby1partwhenawholeispartitioned
into
b
equalpartsunderstandafraction
a/b
asthequantityformedby
a
partsofsize1/
b
.
3.3.Explainequivalenceoffractionsinspecialcases,andcomparefractionsbyreasoning
abouttheirsize.
a.Understandtwofractionsasequivalent(equal)iftheyarethesamesize.
b.Recognizeandgeneratesimpleequivalentfractions,e.g.,1/2=2/4,4/6=2/3).
Explainwhythefractionsareequivalent,e.g.,byusingavisualfractionmodel.

Vocabulary
:fraction,numerator,denominator,equivalentfraction
Objective:
Studentswillrecognizethatpartsofawholecanberepresentedbyequivalent
fractionsbyexploringfractioncirclesandfractionbarsaspartoftheirM.A.T.H.centers.
Materials
:1/4measuringcup,netbooks/iPads,fractioncirclesandfractionbars
manipulatives,fractionbarworksheet,studentsbringacrayontotheircenter,differentiated
worksheets(materialsforthefoldable:scissors,pencil,paper)
1. Orientation
a. Reviewpriorknowledge.
b. LastnightIwastryingtomakechocolatechipcookieswhenIranintoa
problem.Therecipecalledfor1cupofflourandallIcouldfindwasthe1/4cup.
HowcouldImakesureIhadtherightamountofchocolatechips?Usethink
pairsharestrategy.Thenrepeatwith1/2cupandletthemthinkbutsavethe
answerfortheendofthedayslesson.
c. ClarifyObjective.
d. GiveinstructionsforM.A.T.H.Centerrotations*anddirectstudentstosplitinto
their4groups.(1015minutespercenter)
i.
M
eetwithteacherMissLincolngivesalessoncompletewithguided
practicebeforesendingstudentstoindependentwork
ii.
A
tyourdeskworkstudentswillcompleteaworksheetcoveringthe
topicsdiscussedwiththeteacherontheirown
iii.
T
echnologystudentswillcompleteKhanacademyassignmentsonthe
classiPads/netbooks
iv.
H
andsonactivityStudentswillworkontheirfractionfoldablesand
playmemory
*Rationale:Inordertoengageallstudentsattheirleveloflearning,Ipretestedstudentson
theirpriorknowledgeoffractionsanddividedtheminto4separategroups.Eventhoughthey
willallbelearningthesameconcepts,thewayconceptsareintroducedandthedifficultyof
independentworkwilldifferfromgrouptogroup.Note:Therearetwolargermidlevelgroups
whoseinstructionandindependentworkwillbenearlyequivalent.

OnLevelGroups(2groupswith7studentseach)
1. Presentation/HighlyStructuredPractice(8min)
e. Presentawholefractioncircle.Referringtothepreviousday,wecanwritethis
as1,orIcandivideitinto2equalpartsandthenwewouldwriteitas2/2,etc.
Whataboutonehalf.ArethereotherwaysIcanshowthis?
f. Letstudentsexplorevariouswaysofmaking1/2withthefractioncircles.
g. Together,recordwhatthefractionwouldbe,remindingthemtorememberthe
wholeandhowmanyequalpartsfitintothewhole.
2. Guided(semiindependent)Practice
a. Presentthefractionbarmanipulativesandtheirworksheetsandhavethem
recognizeandcolorthefractionsthatmake1/2.
b. Passouttheindependentpracticeworkandmodelthefirstoneforeachside
3. IndependentPractice:studentswillcompletetheworksheetattheirnextcenter.

BelowLevelGroup(6students)

1. Presentation/HighlyStructuredPractice(10min)
a. Withthefractioncirclesdemonstrateagainhowtherearevariouswaysof
makingonewhole.Thentrymaking1/2indifferentways.Talkabouteachone
andhowwewouldwriteitaspartofawhole.
b. Iftime,showwiththefractionbarsaswell.
2. Guided(semiindependent)Practice(5min)
a. Gothroughtheworksheetswiththestudents,explainingtheinstructionsand
modellingafewexamplesforthem.Makesuretheyunderstandwhattheyare
doingsotheycancompleteitindependently.
3. IndependentPractice:studentswillcompletetheworksheetattheirnextcenter

AboveLevelGroup(5students)

*ThesestudentswillstarttheirrotationattheAtyourdeskworksincetheyaretrustedtobe
abletocompletethetaskbeforemeetingwiththeteacher.Theyhadpriorknowledgewhereas
mostoftheothersdidnotsotheirinstructionvariesfromtheothers.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Reviewtheirindependentworkandaddressanymisconceptions.
KWLaskwhatthestudentsknowandwhattheywanttolearnaboutfractions
Discussthedifferentvariationsofonewhole.
ResumetheTenMarksanimatedpresentation.
Askwhatstudentslearned.

Closure
:Cananyonehelpanswermyproblematthebeginning?HowdoIgetonehalffrom
onefourth?

Assessment
:
1. Formative/Informal:Studentswillhaveindividualwhiteboardstoshowmetheir
responsestoquestionsduringsmallgroupcenters.
2. Summative:Everystudentwillcompleteaworksheetindependentlyandreturntothe
folderfortheteachertoreviewandcheckprogressattheendoftheday.Thisis

DifferentiationStrategies:
1. Smallgroupcenterrotationstoteachtostudentneedsasstatedabove.
2. Emphasisonacademicvocabularysuchashalves,thirds,fourthsinintroductory
portion,smallgroups,andaspartofthefoldable.
3. Theindependentworkforthebelowlevelgroupislesschallengingthantheother
groupsworkandinstructionsarestatedsimplyandmodelledforthestudentsduring
instructionaltime.Theirworksheetsrequirelittlereadingsothatthestrugglingreaders
cancompletethetaskontheirownonceinstructedhowtodoso.