Unit Overview      Week 1        Week 2      Week 3    Week 4   Week 5    


Week 1:  
Feb. 27 - Mar. 3

Curriculum Resources:
 THE WEEK AT-A-GLANCE​: Build Fraction Kits and Play Games
Introducing Fractions: Day 1; Students make a fraction kit 
Introducing Fractions: Day 2; Play Cover Up & Play Uncover Version 1
Introducing Fractions: Day 3;Play Uncover Version 2 
Introducing Fractions: Day 4; Geoboards with halves, fourths, eighths, sixteenths 
Introducing Fractions: Day 5; Geoboards with combos




Engaging Lesson & Notes

Lesson 1: Make Fraction Kits and Making Poster of Fraction Relationships 
​Source:
Introducing Fraction by Marilyn Burns. Chapter 2; pages 10-29.
Fraction Kit Guide Grades 4th - 6th by Marilyn Burns.

​​​Materials
Fraction Strip Kits
Fraction Dies
One gallon size Ziploc Plastic Bags (1 per students)
Chart Paper for Comparing Fractions and Relationships.
​
Lesson
Students will make their fraction kit step-by-step with teacher modeling and instruction.  

Math Focus Points
  • Understanding fractional parts of the same whole.
  • Representing fractional as equal parts of a whole.
  • Understanding fraction relationships. 
​
Number Talk 
Focus Questions: 
  • What is a fraction and how can I represent it?
  •  How are fractional parts of the same whole related to each other?
Posters:  Fraction Chart; Fraction Relationships
Record Fraction Relationships and Observations; Identify numerator and denominator and what they mean in the materials; Identify “unit fractions”; Emphasize equivalent fractions; write equations showing sums of fractions with the same denominators (3/8 =1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8  OR 3/8 = 2/8 + 1/8)

​Teaching Tips
  • Students must understand that the smaller the fractional unit the largest the numerator.
  • Identify and refer to each color piece as "fractional unit".
  • When building relationships start by guiding students with an example... "One relationship I noticed is that 1/4 is less than 1/2" .. "What else can we notice?"

Differentiation
Students Explore and Discuss the following Questions:
​Download Attachment Fractions Day 1
"Fraction Detectives"

Formative Assessment
Assess the making of the Fraction Kit. Did the students built it right?
​
Homework
  • Have students write equivalent fractions
  • Write sums of fractions
  • Comparing Fractions

Supplemental Lessons or Activities



fractionsday1.docx
File Size: 338 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
Fraction Detective  

Comments, Photos, Videos . . .

Engaging Lesson & Notes

Lesson 2
​Source
Introducing Fraction by Marilyn Burns. Chapter 2; pages 10-29.
Fraction Kit Guide Grades 4th - 6th by Marilyn Burns.
​
​​Materials
​Fraction Kits
Fraction Dice (1 per pair of students)
Rules for Cover Up, Uncover version 1 (see downloads)
Comparing Pairs Worksheet (see downloads)

Lesson
Students will play Cover Up and Uncover, Version 1 & 2.
​
Math Focus Points
  • Building a whole using fraction units.
  • Comparing fractional parts using equivalent fractional parts.
Number Talk 

Model playing Cover Up
Focus Question:
  • How can I build a whole using unit fractions?
Questions we might ask while modeling:
  • What fractions are on the die?
  • What's the least amount of roles we can use to get to a whole?
  • How far from a whole are you?
  • What possible roles will cover up our whole? What other roles will cover up our whole?
  • How many more ______s do we need to cover the whole?
Play Uncover Version 1:
Focus Questions:
  • What are equivalent fractions? 
  • How can I represent equivalent fractions? 
  • What is my winning strategy?
Questions we might ask while modeling the game:
  • What will you do?  Why?
  • What is the least number of rolls it will take to uncover the whole?  Why?
  • What is the greatest number of rolls it will take to uncover the whole? Why?

Teaching Tips
  • Have students sit in gathering area and use the magnetic fraction kit on whiteboard to model game.
  • Some students will want to trim their pieces because their pieces are not exact when covering or uncovering the whole, etc. Remind students that measurement is never exact, so it's likely that their  pieces aren't exactly the right sizes. Trimming the pieces can't really solve that problem. What's important is that they think about the the fractional sizes the pieces are supposed to be, rather than just relying on the paper pieces they've cut.
​​
Practice
Students play the games independently.

Differentiation
Cover the Whole Activity (Introducing Fractions pp. 22 & 23.

Formative Assessment
Assess students' knowledge of fractional equivalents  by observing students play the games.
  • What do you hope to roll next? Why?
  • How many more rolls do you think you'll need to cover your whole? (or uncover your whole?)
  • How much ahead are you than your partner?
  • Be thinking about about your next plays. Don't grab the die at the end of your partner's turn; wait until your partner says "done."

Homework
Comparing Pairs (see downloads)

Supplemental Lessons or Activities

How to play Cover Up? Watch video below

Make sure students are using inductive reasoning to make conjectures as they play the game. what patterns do they notice?

Comments, Photos, Videos . . .

Engaging Lesson & Notes


Lesson 3
Source
Fraction Kit Guide Grades 4th - 6th by Marilyn Burns.
​
​​Materials
​Fraction Kits
Fraction Dice (1 per pair of students)
Rules for  Uncover version 2 (see black line master)
Comparing Pairs Work

Lesson
Students will play Uncover Version  2.
​
Number Talk 
What was my winning strategy?
Is there a pattern in the rolling of the die? (probability discussion)

Math Focus Points

Play Uncover Version 2
Focus Questions: 
  • What are equivalent fractions?  
  • How can I represent equivalent fractions? 
  • What is my winning strategy?
Questions we might ask while modeling the game:
  • What will you do?  Why?
While playing the game, students record all the equivalencies they use.  For example, if they roll 1/8 and remove 2/16, they write 1/8 = 2/16.  If they roll ¼ and exchange for 2/16 and 1/8, the write ¼ = 2/16 + 1/8.

Teaching Tips
Make sure students use academic vocabulary (e.g. fraction unit, equivalent, less than, more than).

Practice
Students play the game independently.

Formative Assessment
Do a quick write. "If I had 1/2 and 1/16 on my board (whole), what would be the fewest rolls possible to cover the whole completely? What would the rolls be?"

Homework
What's Missing? (see downloads)

Supplemental Lessons or Activities

Marilyn Burns Guide to Fractions Booklet

Create a conjectures' poster with the class and add students' conjectures as you move on through the lessons...

Comments, Photos, Videos . . .

Forming conjunctures/Reasons of Patterns . What do you notice

Engaging Lesson & Notes

Lesson 4
Source
Investigations Unit 6: Session 1.1, pp.24 - 31
*Note - Teachers use the Geoboard Packet (made from worksheet 1.1).

Lesson Title
Fractions of an Area: Halves, Fourths, Eighths

Math Focus Points
  • Finding fractional parts of a rectangular area.
  • Interpreting the meaning of the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.
​Number Talk
Comparing Fractions - Draw the number line on the board (0, 1/2, 1). Put a fraction on the board (halves, fourths, eighths, sixteenths) and ask the students, "Where would you place this fractions on the number line? How do you know?"

Formative Assessment
Student activity book, page 3.

​Homework
Student activity book page 1. Resource master, M7, T64
​

Math Workshop Items

Extending fraction knowledge 

Comments, Photos, Videos . . .

Making Halves, Fourths, Eighths and Sixteenths 

Engaging Lesson & Notes

Lesson 5. Continue with Geoboards packet
Source
Investigations Unit 6: Session 1.1, and session 1.2 pp.24 - 31
*Note - Teachers use the Geoboard Packet (made from worksheet 1.1).

Lesson Title
Fractions of an Area: Halves, Fourths, Eighths

Math Focus Points
  • Finding fractional parts of a rectangular area.
  • Interpreting the meaning of the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.
​Number Talk (use different fractions units)
Comparing Fractions - Draw the number line on the board (0, 1/2, 1). Put a fraction on the board (halves, fourths, eighths, sixteenths) and ask the students, "Where would you place this fractions on the number line? How do you know?"

Formative Assessment
Student activity book, page 3.

​Homework
Student activity book page 1. Resource master, M7, T64
​

Math Workshop Items

Continue exploring and making equivalent fractions

Comments, Photos, Videos . . .

Equivalent fractions

Assessment