Divisions of Fractions

Action Research Project

By Jennifer Brewster Wood

Student Diversity at Glenwood School

Glenwood School

State Average

White

95%

91%

Black

3%

5%

Two or more races

1%

2%

Hispanic

1%

1%

American Indian/Alaska Native

0%

0%

Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander

0%

0%

Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

1%

Students by Group

Glenwood School

State average

Female

49%

48%

Male

51%

52%

Glenwood School

Enrollment 734 students

Grades K-8
Fifth grade estimated 60 students

Mrs. Bowmans Fifth

Grade Class
20 students
Ages 10 12 years old
11 Boys and 9 Girls

Academic Diversity in Classroom

There are four students in the classroom who are below grade level in
math and reading. Three of these students are on a retention list and
one is being recommended for testing for special education.
The other students are at grade level or above grade level
There are no students listed as gifted in the class.
One student who with 504 Plan
Student is well above grade level
Student has ADHD
Accommodations
Frequent breaks
Allow student to stand and move around as long as it isnt
disruptive

Next Generation CSOs

M.5.NF.7 - apply and extend previous understandings of division to
divide unit fractions by whole numbers and whole numbers by unit
fractions
a.
interpret division of a unit fraction by a non-zero whole
number and compute such quotients. For example, create a story
context for (1/3) 4 and use a visual fraction model to show the
quotient. Use the relationship between multiplication and division
to explain that (1/3) 4 = 1/12 because (1/12) 4 = 1/3.
b.
interpret division of a whole number by a unit fraction and
compute such quotients. For example, create a story context for 4
(1/5) and use a visual fraction model to show the quotient. Use
the relationship between multiplication and division to explain
that 4 (1/5) = 20 because 20 (1/5) = 4.

The PreTest
Total of 10 division of fraction
problems

The Pretest results

The class average for the

Pretest was zero percent.
The students were
unfamiliar with Divisions of
Fractions.

Formative Assessment
20 Students had
two practice
sheets and a quiz
to help them
learn how to
divide fractions.
The first lesson
didnt go so
well
Heres the
story.

For the first lesson I chose to teach the

lesson the lesson using modeling and
lecture.
I had no technology to utilize because the
smartboard and Elmo were broken.

Formative Assessment
An old projector was all
the technology that was
available so I used
transparencies to model
how to divide fractions.
The students had many
problems with the
lesson and I took some
of the students into a
small group to help
with their questions.

BACK to the drawing board

The first lesson was not
successful. So I researched
different teaching techniques.

Most of the students in the class

had fewer questions on the
practice page they were working.

I created an anchor chart to help

students get a visual
representation they could refer
back to so they could see the
steps in solving the problems of
dividing fractions.
I observed the students after the
introduction of the charts and the
muscle memory exercise with the
hand motions for keep, change,
and flip.
Most of the students in the class
had fewer questions on the
practice page they were working.

Quiz & Final Assessment

I chose to give a take home
practice quiz to the students:
to make sure that if we had a snow
day they would have some
practice problems so that the
students wouldnt forget how to
work the problems.
I modeled how to do two of the
problems on this quiz and went
over the chart and hand motions
again.

Quiz & Final Assessment

I gave the students the same
problems that the students had
for their pretest on the final
assessment.
I thought that it was a good idea
to get a true sense of how well the
students learned to divide
fractions.
I had hoped that with the different
teaching methods the students
performance on the assessments
would improve greatly from the
pretest and the first practice
lesson.

Reflection/Self Evaluation
I realized that I was introducing a new concept to the students but I was really
surprised that all of the pretest grades were zeros.
I was shocked to see how many students struggle with basic division skills.
I had many questions and found many errors in students work as I was walking
around observing students.
I helped each of those students one on one.
I went back to the drawing board and made an anchor chart after I saw how much
trouble the students were having with this skill.
I think that the anchor chart helped the students and I know that the students
enjoyed the hand gestures because they were laughing as they learned them.
I also saw a few making gestures to themselves as they were taking the final
assessment.

Reflection/Self Evaluation
The least successful activity was the first lesson.
I modeled after the way that they model most of their math lessons.
The students didnt respond well to the lecture and model techniques at all.
Teaching the lesson that way confused some and bored others.

The most successful activity was the anchor chart and the hand
gestures.
The students laughed and I had fewer questions and issues as I was
walking around observing each student.
There were still issues with some students and the application of
division but that has more to do with previous exposure to division
and multiplication, than my teaching the lesson.

Reflection/Self Evaluation
After I taught this lesson I did another lesson using Legos to teach a math skill.
I wish that I could have gone back and used Legos as a visual model of division of
fractions.
I think that the students who were struggling with division and multiplication
would have been better served with the Lego lessons as well.
Im sorry that I used the techniques in the first lesson because the students were
struggling with this method and I knew that going in I just wanted to see how they
would improve with the introduction of new techniques.
I really wanted to do well with this project because I struggled with Math for most
of my life.
I am pleased with the outcome because while most of the scores werent as high as
I had hoped I think everyone learned something about division of fractions. I
learned a few things too.