Identify and Represent Equivalent Fractions: Representational Level

More Teaching Plans on this topic: Concrete

Teach Skill with Authentic Context

Description: In this lesson, a paper folding game that children play is emphasized.

Build Meaningful Student Connections

Purpose: to help students make meaningful connections between what they have experienced with working with concrete objects and using paper folding and drawings to identify and make equivalent fractions.

* The following is a description of how you implement this instructional strategy for Learning Objective 1.

Learning Objective 1: Use drawings and other representations to identify equivalent fractions.

Materials:

Teacher -

• Paper cube, folded and unfolded,

Description:

1) L ink to students’ prior knowledge of identifying and representing fractions.

For Example:

How many of you love to make those folded paper blocks that ask questions like “What’s your favorite number? What is your favorite color? Who do you love?” Well, today we are going to fold paper and work on equivalent fractions.

2) I dentify the skill students will learn.

For Example:

We have been using objects like fractions bars and circles to work on equivalent fractions. Today we are going to find out how we can use paper and pencil to show equivalent (point to word on board) fractions. Remember that equivalent fractions look different but show the same amount of a whole.

3) P rovide rationale/meaning for identifying and representing equivalent fractions.

For Example:

If we can learn to draw our answers, it will help us when we start adding and subtracting fractions.

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Provide Explicit Teacher Modeling

Purpose: to provide students with a clear model of how to identify and make equivalent fractions using drawings and other representations.

Learning Objective 1: Use paper folding and drawing to identify equivalent fractions.

* This skill should first be taught using an area model, than a measurement model, and then a sets model. After completing all phases of the instructional plan with an area model, and measuring student mastery, the concept should then be taught using a measurement model. After completing all phases of the instructional plan with a measurement model, and measuring student mastery, the concept would then be taught using a sets model.

Materials:

Teacher -

• Paper
• Markers, colored pencils, crayons
• White or chalkboard

Description:

A. Break down the skill of identifying equivalent fractions using paper folding/drawing.

1. Identify the first fraction.

2. Compare the second fraction to the first.

Learning Objective 2: Use drawings to represent equivalent fractions.

* This skill should first be taught using an area model, than a measurement model, and then a sets model. After completing all phases of the instructional plan with an area model, and measuring student mastery, the concept should then be taught using a measurement model. After completing all phases of the instructional plan with a measurement model, and measuring student mastery, the concept would then be taught using a sets model.

Materials:

Teacher -

• Chocolate bar
• Markers, colored pencils, crayons
• White or chalkboard

Description:

A. Break down the skill of representing equivalent fractions using drawings.

1) Identify the first fraction.

2) Draw an equivalent fraction.

3) Compare the second fraction to the first.

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Scaffold Instruction

Purpose: to provide students an opportunity to build their initial understanding of how to identify and represent equivalent fractions using drawings.

Materials:

• Dependent on the skill (See materials listed for the specific skill under Explicit Teacher Modeling).

Description:

Scaffolding at the representational/drawing level of instruction should occur using the same process as scaffolding instruction at the concrete level of instruction (See the description of Scaffolding Instruction for “identifying and representing equivalent fractions using concrete objects with an area model. A similar process could be used for the other learning objectives in this plan.). The steps used during Explicit Teacher Modeling should be used as structure for scaffolding your instruction.

1. Scaffold instruction using a high level of teacher direction/support (*Dependent on the needs of your students, you may want to continue to associate concrete materials with drawings at this level as described under Explicit Teacher Modeling.) *Move to the next phase of scaffolding only when students demonstrate understanding and ability to respond accurately to your prompts.

2. Scaffold instruction using a medium level of teacher direction/support (*If you associated concrete materials with drawings while scaffolding using a high level of teacher direction/support, then do not include concrete materials during this phase of scaffolding). *Move to the next phase of scaffolding only when students demonstrate understanding and ability to respond accurately to your prompts.

3. Scaffold instruction using a low level of teacher direction/support (*Students should actually draw as you prompt during this phase of Scaffolding Instruction.). *Move students to independent practice of the skill only after they demonstrate the ability to perform the skill with limited prompting from you.

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Videos

Learning Objective 1: view  Clip 1, Clip 2

Use paper folding and drawing to identify equivalent fractions.

Learning Objective 2: view  Clip 1, Clip 2

Use drawings to represent equivalent fractions.

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