Learning Equivalent Fractions
Lesson: Equivalent Fractions
§113.15. Social Studies, Grade 4, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012.
(3) Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process standards to represent and explain fractional units. The student is expected to:
(G) Explain that two fractions are equivalent if and only if they are both represented by the same point on the number line or represent the same proportion of a same size whole for an area model.
Three Part Objective:
After matching examples of equivalent fractions as a class, students will match at least 3 out of 4 equal fractions independently in their workbook.
Materials:
• Student Workbooks (24)
• Fraction Power Point
• Fraction Note Worksheet (24)
• Projector
• Document Camera
• Notecards with fraction matched (28 cards)
• Ruler
• 3 Hershey® Chocolate bars
Gain Attention:
I will start the class with three bars of Hershey® chocolate on the doc camera. The bars will be broken into different portions with an equal number of pieces in each (1/2 2/4, and 4/8). I will then ask the students if they would want the portion with the most pieces or the biggest pieces. Students should answer their opinion. If no students point out they are all the same size portion, then I will do so. Inform the Learner of the
Objective:
Today we will be learning how to identify fractions that share the same value and place on the number line.
Stimulate Recall of Prior Knowledge:
After the chocolate presentation, I will have the students, as a class, fill in the blanks on the number lines from page 631 of their notebooks, which is reviewing fractions on the number line. Students will instruct me on how to complete the problems in my copy of the notebook while they do the same in theirs. I will help guide students in the right direction and ask them why they take the steps they do.
Present Material:
Once we have finished reviewing fractions on the number line I will ask them if there are and fractions on the lines that appear to be at the same place on the different number lines. When a student answers, or if no one answers I will use a ruler to show an example of where two fractions on different lines are at the same point (Examples: ¼ and D; A, C and E; B and F). Then I will hand the students the fraction blocks worksheet and we will fill it out as a class, using the PowerPoint as a guide. Once the blocks are labeled I will ask the students if any of the blocks can be used to make a ½ block from the chart. The students should identify two ¼ blocks or three 1/6 blocks as possible solutions. Then will ask them why they answer what they do, and if correct, what it means if they can make a fraction out of two smaller ones. I will explain that fractions can be equal even if they are using different denominators (divisors).
Provide Guidance to the Learner:
After initially presenting the material, I will begin asking the students what the next step for the problem will be and guide them in the right direction. When the class is matching the notecards with equal fractions I will help the class determine whether their peer was correct and why if the answer was wrong. During their independent time, I will go around the room to ensure that each student understands the material and answer any questions they may have.
Elicit Performance:
After completing a few practice problems from their workbook, students will then participate in a class activity matching fractions. Students will be matching together notecards with fractions that share the same value. Each student will have a randomly selected card that goes into a group of equal fractions. There will be 4 different parent values the students will group under (1/2, 1/4, 1/3, and 1/5). Once students choose a group they will present their cards in front of the class who will determine whether their peers were in the right category.
Give Feedback:
•Excellent work!
•Great job! You figured it out!
•Thank you for helping pass out the cards! You’re a wonderful helper.
Assess Performance:
After the class activity matching fractions, students will be assigned the 4 problems from page 633 of their workbook and must answer at least 3 of them correctly independently. I will be going around the class to ensure all students are on task and answer any questions students may have regarding the problems.
Enhance Retention & Transfer:
Students will be asked what they learned today from the lesson, what was difficult and what was easy. After several students answer, I will then ask what portion they would choose if they were offered a portion of the chocolate bars from the beginning of class. The bars are divided into different groups (1 out of 2 pieces, 2 out of 4 pieces, or 4 out of 8 pieces). They should answer that they are all the same portion because the fractions 1/2, 2/4, and 4/8 are all equal.
Reflection
Lesson Topic
For my first lesson, I taught about Same-Name fractions (aka fractions of equal value). I had written this lesson over spring break, but could not teach it until now, three weeks later. During this time, my CT was on leave for family business and the class was under a substitute for two weeks. When I finally came back this week the class was doing their MAP testing, which was originally scheduled for the previous week, however it was moved due to their teacher’s absence. This meant the students were not in their usual learning mindset.
What Went Well
I began the lesson by presenting three different chocolate bars -all the same size, but broken up in different ways- to the class after they had all come back into the room from computers. This worked better than I thought it would as nearly every student immediately snapped their attention to me and the chocolate bars. When I asked the students about which portion they would chose, they answered as I had expected. One student said they would want the portion with the biggest piece. Another student pointed out he would take any of the choices because they were all the same size, just broken into pieces differently. I congratulated the student for his figuring out the goal for the day – identifying Same-Name Fractions. We then filled out the fraction chart worksheet I had created for the students and filled it in with the students. I was able to make sure the students were all on the same page by having “thumbs-up checks” whenever some students seemed they were struggling to keep up and slowed down as needed. Additionally, I asked if students had questions on anything whenever we finished to make sure no one was confused of left behind. Overall, the students were very focused and understood the material presented. Additionally, I was able to overcome the major obstacle mentioned in the next section.
What Was Unexpected
I had finished the introductory part of my lesson and was moving on to my prior recall part of the lesson using their workbooks. When I opened the teacher workbook for the class I noticed the blanks had been filled in on the pages, so I asked the students if theirs were too. It turned out the substitute had taught the lesson while I was gone and the students had done every problem related to what we were doing. Both Mrs. B’Smith and I were shocked to see that the materials I had planned to use with her were suddenly gone. I then knew I was going to have to improvise the lesson. For my prior recall, I asked the students if any of the fraction points on number lines they had filled out were of equal value. This was quickly answered since the students remembered the lesson from before. We moved on to creating our own problems and applying the topic to real life. We did several examples of how to share pizzas and chocolate bars among several people and applying same name fractions to modifying a recipe.
CT’s Impression
After I taught the lesson, Mrs. B’Smith talked to me as the students worked on flashcards for their science test. She told me she thought the lesson went extremely well and kept the students engaged the entire class. Even one of the students who is usually not interested in class was actively engaged and excited for the lesson. She commended me for handling the curveball regarding the workbook pages exceptionally well. My improved activities of asking the class to create their own problems was a great way to create the retention and transfer needed to make the concept more permeant for the students. During the card activity, some students made some trouble for me, which she thought I handled well, but I could use some work in this area. Despite this, she told me I did well in my overall class management in keeping the class engaged and bringing them to the front when they began to lose some of their focus during the card activity
Lesson Improvement
The card grouping activity I had planned did not go as well as I thought it could have. Looking back, I think I could have given more explicit instructions for it to run smoother. I also could have set up stations with the root fractions for the students to see if they matched rather than having a student constantly moving with the root fraction card, making it hard for others to find where they belonged. Additionally, I feel that I could use some work in managing certain students in the class who gave me some trouble. I look forward to learning how to improve myself in this area from Mrs. B’Smith in my future lessons. Overall I think the lesson was a success despite the obstacles I faced.