EDMA310/360 Mathematics unit planner

Chrissie Marakis
Unit Overview

Unit title:
Decimal Fractions
Content maths area:
Decimal Fractions
Grade/year level:
Grade 5 / Level 5
Learning Focus (ideas extrapolated from AusVELS):
Number and Algebra, Fractions and Decimals, Understanding and reasoning
Rationale:
Understanding decimal notation is an important part of basic numeracy as the real world uses metric units for many everyday purposes. They are
used for scientific purpose as well so understanding the system is significant to interpret and analyse data for personal use (Moloney, Steinle,
Stacey, 2012).
Assumed prior knowledge of students:
Students have looked at fractions (part-whole construct) and the place value of decimals (tenths, hundredths).
Grouping strategies to support learning:
Mixed ability grouping will be arranged.
Pair and group work.
Overview of assessment:
Introducing decimal fractions begins with place value in order for students to understand the base-ten system. Formative assessment with a
brainstorm will gather knowledge of what students know about the place value of decimals. Summative assessment of activity sheets and open
tasks will be collected. Questioning will be undertaken throughout activities with a checklist. Self assessment of what students have personally
achieved will also be undertaken.

References:
R, Anne. (2010). Decimats: Helping students to make sense of decimal place value: Anne Roche introduces "decimats" and describes how they
can be used to make sense of decimal size and decimal place value.(Report). Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, (2), 4.
Clarke, D. M., Mitchell, A. & Roche, A. (2008). Ten Practical Tips for Making Fractions Come Alive and Make Sense. Mathematics Teaching in
the Middle School, (7), 372-380.
Department of Education and Child Development. (2014). Place value activities from Michael Ymer PD. Retrieved from
www.decd.sa.gov.au/.../Michael%20Ymer/Place_value_activities_fro.doc
Leonard, F., Magone, M., Nesher, P., Peled, I., Omanson, S. & Resnick, L. B. (1989). Conceptual Bases of Arithmetic Errors: The Case of
Decimal Fractions. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, (1), 8-27.
Maths300. (2010). Fractions to Decimals (on a rope!). Retrieved from http://www.maths300.esa.edu.au/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1130
SMART. (2012). Decimal Fractions. http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=68a8179e-e38a-4100-8ec5-1a91346630ea
Moloney, K. Steinle, V. & Stacey, K. (2012). Students' Understanding of Decimals: An Overview. Retrieved from
https://extranet.education.unimelb.edu.au/DSME/decimals/SLIMversion/backinfo/refs/molostac.shtml.

MATHEMATICS UNIT PLANNER

Topic: Decimal fractions

Year Level: 5

Term: 3

Week: 5-6

Date: 5th Sept

Key mathematical understandings

(2-4 understandings only; written as statements
believed to be true about the mathematical
idea/topic):

Recognise the equivalence of one

thousandths and 0.001.

Key AusVELS Focus / Standard (taken directly from AusVELS documents):

Content strand(s):
Number and Algebra
Measurement and Geometry
Sub-strand(s): Fractions and Decimals

Decimals are numbers that can be represented

on a number line in a sequence.

Decimals can be represented as unit fractions

and percentages.

Proficiency strand(s):
Understanding
Fluency
Problem Solving Reasoning
Understanding: Comparing, ordering decimal fractions and representing them in a variety of ways
Reasoning: Justify using benchmarking and mathematical fractional language why one decimal is small, larger or equal
to another decimal.

Level descriptions:
Recognise that the place value system can be extended beyond hundredths (ACMNA104)

Key skills to develop and practise (including strategies,

ways of working mathematically, language goals, etc.)
(4-5 key skills only):

Comparing decimal fractions

-Benchmarking
-Estimating
-Equivalence

Ordering decimals
-Locating decimals on a number line

Statistics and Probability

Using fractional language to represent decimal symbols

Compare, order and represent decimals (ACMNA105)

Key equipment / resources:

Decimat activity, Three in a row activity, number line

templates

Interactive Whiteboard

Rope

Key vocabulary (be specific and include definitions of

key words appropriate to use with students)
Units, tenths, hundredths, thousandths, number line,
decimals, unit fractions, percent, ordering, decimal
point.

Possible misconceptions (list of misconceptions related

to the mathematical idea/topic that students might
develop):
Longer is larger
Shorter is larger
Internal zero
Less than zero

strategies/ skillsLearning

Analysing
Estimating
Checking
Explaining
Classifying
Generalising
Co-operating
Hypothesising
Considering options
Inferring
Designing
Interpreting
MATHEMATICAL
TUNING
IN
FOCUS
(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)
(a short, sharp task relating to
(what you want the
the focus of the lesson; sets
children to come to
the scene/ context for what
understand as a result
students do in the
of this lesson
independent aspect. e.g., It
short, succinct
may be a problem posed,
statement)
spider diagram, an openended question, game, or
reading a story)

Key probing questions (focus questions that will be used

to develop understanding to be used during the
sequence of lessons; 3 5 probing questions):

What is the representation of the decimal as a unit

fraction, using fractional language?

How can you represent the following decimal?

Using unit fractions? Percentages? Physical
representations?

What strategy will you use to order these

decimals?

Links to other contexts (if applicable, e.g., inquiry unit

focus, current events, literature, etc.):
Physical education, jumping.

Listening
Performing
Reading
Seeing patterns
Testing
Locating information
Persuading
Recognising bias
Selecting information
Viewing
Making choices
Planning
Reflecting
Self-assessing
Visually representing
Note taking
Predicting
Reporting
Sharing ideas
Working
Observing
Presenting
Responding
Summarising
independently
Ordering events
Providing
feedback
Synthesising
Working to a
INVESTIGATIONS
REFLECTION
& Restating ADAPTATIONS
ASSESSMENT
SESSION
MAKING CONNECTIONS
STRATEGIES
(INDEPENDENT
SESSION
- Enabling prompt
LEARNING)
(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)
(to allow those experiencing
(should relate to objective.
(extended opportunity for
(focused teacher questions
difficulty to engage in active
Includes what the teacher
students to work in pairs,
and summary to draw out the
experiences related to the
will listen for, observe, note
small groups or individually.
mathematics and assist
initial goal task)
or analyse; what evidence of
Time for teacher to probe
children to make links. NB.
- Extending prompt
learning will be collected
childrens thinking or work
This may occur at particular
(questions that extend
and what criteria will be
with a small group for part of points during a lesson. Use of
students thinking on the
used to analyse the
the time and to also conduct
spotlight, strategy, gallery
initial task)
evidence)
roving conferences)
walk, etc.)

Session 1

Associating
fractional
language to
decimal
representations.

BRAINSTORM
-What do students know
about decimals?
(Decimal point and place
value)

Physical involvement.
Students take part in Place
Value Paths (Department of
Education and Child
Development, 2014).
Refer to Appendix 1

Write a four digit decimal on

the board.
Is it closer to 3 or 4? Is it
closer to 3.0 or 3.1?

Session 2
Decimals can be
represented as
unit fractions
and percentages,
making sense of
place value.

To re-emphasize the notion of

place value in decimal
notation:
Students play Hat game
where they arrange
themselves in order to make
the largest decimal figure. A
hat of ones, decimal point,
units, tenths, hundredths,
thousandths.
They justify why they are in
their position with the help of
the rest of the class.

Decimat activity
Students will work in pairs or
groups of three. They will roll
the dice and use their
knowledge of fractions to
write the unit fraction and the
decimal number and shade the
physical representation
(Roche, 2010)
(Refer to Appendix 3)
Adding the language of
tenths, hundredths,
thousandths will also be
included.

When students are

participating in dice game
(Refer to Appendix 2)
Questions:
What is the role of the
decimal point?
What column is the number
before the decimal point?
What does the 32 in 1.32m
signify? (32 hundredths)
Can you use materials to
prove this?

Enabling Proportional
models of MAB blocks to
display the base-ten decimal
system.
In dice game - Roll two dice
and use tenths.

Brainstorm as formative
assessment.
Students write down their
ideas on a sticky note of
what they know about
decimals.

Extending Roll four dice

and make a number in
thousandths

Dice game sheet with

answers of rolls provided as
summative assessment.

How would we use fractional

language to represent the
fraction and decimals you
have recorded in the Decimat
game?
If your decimal is 0.002, how
would we say this?

Enabling Exclude
thousandths on Decimat
activity sheet.
Using MAB blocks to show a
physical representation of
hundredths, thousandths.

Questioning students when

playing dice game.

Extending
How else can we represent
the decimals on the Decimat
activity?

Observation of decimat
sheets. Colour coding
should identify whether the
fraction, decimal is
highlighted.
-Checklist

Session 3
Decimals can be
represented as
unit fractions.

Calculator task.
Ask students to add numbers
together to see place value.
(Leonard, Magone, Nesher,
Peled, Omanson and Resnick,
1989).

Session 4

Clothes Line activity.

Ask two students to hold up
piece of rope. Invite students
to come up and estimate
where they think particular
decimal fraction figures
should be positioned.

Ordering
fractions on a
number line
using
benchmarking
and estimation

Session 5
Converting
common
fractions to
decimals.
Ordering
decimals on
number line
using estimation.

(Nonsequential
lesson)

Students use a range of

number cards to find their
missing group of three. Once
they find their equivalent
peers of their decimal, unit
fraction or percentage,
students will form a group
and use an assortment of
materials to display their
representations (Clarke,
Roche & Mitchell, 2008).
As a class they will order
their figure using the physical
representations for assistance.
For example: 0.256,
256/1000, 25.6%
Number line open task
(Clarke, Roche & Mitchell,
2008).
Refer to Appendix 4.

How can you prove each card

is of equivalence of the
decimal representation?
Show me using a model.
Justify your responses.
What other representation can
you use to shoe me this
decimal?

Enabling- Percentages are

excluded.
Decimals on cards are
decreased.

Why have you put the

decimals in this order?
What helped you determine
this?
Can your knowledge of
common fractions assist you
in making these estimates?

Enabling Decreases number

line size and decrease the
value of the decimal.
Use physical representations
(MAB blocks) to understand
the place value to order
numbers.

Questioning
Roving

Extending- percentages are

included.

Number line open task

rubric. Refer to Appendix 5.
Questioning

Extending - Increases number

line size and increase the
value of the decimal.

Decimal fractions games

On Interactive White board.
(SMART, 2012)
http://exchange.smarttech.co
m/details.html?id=68a8179ee38a-4100-8ec51a91346630ea

Fractions to decimals on a
rope Task (Maths 300, 2010).
Refer to Appendix 6.

How did you work out that

this common fraction is
equivalent to this decimal?

Enabling Apart from paper

folding, providing unifix
blocks and other concrete
materials to physically make
unit fractions to see
association between these and
decimal figured.
Extending Increase number
line and decimals.

Questioning
Answer sheets