Grade: 3 & 4

Lesson Title: Introduction to Fractions Date: April 4

Strand / Curriculum Expectations Represent fractions using concrete materials, pictures, words and standard notation

What do students need to know and be able to do? (consider prior knowledge based in curriculum) Able to identify some simple fractions, such as ½, ¼, in concrete form and pictures Think of fractions in terms of money to ¼ ($0.25 = ¼ of a dollar) Use parts of whole to share More familiar with parts of a set

Learning GoalsContent:

Fractions can be represented in different ways

Process: Representing – we can

use different concrete materials or words or numbers to show our thinking in math

Oral Communication:

Do the math (anticipate different strategies students may try) Anticipated Consolidation Highlights and Summary (what skills does each strategy emphasize)

Question: will students note that the fraction pairs are equivalent?

Representations to include:

Manipulatives Words Fraction notation with

numerator and denominator Idea that pairs of fractions are

the same or =

Lesson Components Anticipated Student Responses and Teacher

Prompts / QuestionsDuring / Action / Working On ItTask:

Select 2 fractions. Use representations to show how they are alike and different.

A. ½ and 2/4

B. 1/3 and 2/6

Discuss question, highlighting important parts and defining term “represent”

Students working in groups of 3-4.

Materials such as fraction circles (whole, 1/2., 1/3, ¼ and 1/6 pieces), linking cubes, grid paper, cuisiniere rods are out and available.

If task is too challenging, offer students choice to use just one fraction.

Scaffolding Questions How else can you represent this?How are these ___the same or different?If I do ____, what will happen?How can you prove your answer or verify your estimate?How do you know?Have you found all the possibilities? How could you arrive at the same answer in a different way?

To prompt use of fraction language ask, “How can you use words to describe what you see?”

Suggest materials for students to use, or a way to use the material if they are not able to use them to support their thinking in the task.

Before / Minds-on / Getting StartedFour Corners Activity:

Select the corner with the picture that you think best shows 1/3.

Students able to change corner after hearing ideas of all of the groups.

Look for phrase 1 out of 3.(there are 3 parts in all)

Scaffolding Questions:

How do you know?

Explore corner that showed ¼. How many pieces in all?

Lesson Components Anticipated Student Responses and Teacher Prompts / Questions

After / Consolidation / Reflecting and ConnectingWhat work will be shared? Scaffolding Questions:

What skills will be highlighted?How will connections be explicitly emphasized?Highlights:

1. Parts can be side by side or apart from each other.

2. Fractions can be parts of a set and can be read in 2 ways (parts highlighted and parts not highlighted)

3. How to use fraction circles:a) Tracing circles in

representationsb) Can overlap parts to compare

sizes4. Can use division to find ½ or

multiplication/doubling to reverse the thinking

How is this solution similar or different from this one?What have you learned today?Summary:

“What do you know about fractions?”

-you don’t add the top and bottom (numbers) together-can use them for sharing, baking-related to money (1/10 is a dime or a dime is 1/10 of a dollar)-fractions are part of a whole e.g. ¼ + ¼ = ½ ($0.25 + $0.25 = $0.50)-can be added together or subtracted-some tools to work with fractions are: fraction circles, rods, cubes-fractions can be compared and represented in different ways-pictures can be used to compare fractions

Consolidation Exit Card/ReflectionHow will we know who really learned this?

Students work independently on the following exit card:

What fraction is shown?Represent it in at least one other way.

Note ¼ and ¾ responses

Note if response is 1/3, as three parts are coloured

Next Steps: 1. Small group to look at the concept of whole and that the size of the

whole matters when you are looking at the parts2. Some whole group opportunities to use the manipulatives to create

and represent fractions; including modeling.3. Grade 3’s to look at language of fractions to build conceptual

understanding (“out of”; ¾ is 3 out of 4)Use drama and DPA to act out ¾ girls are..., 1/3 students are...Sample question: Show ¾. A student says this is 1/3. Is he correct?