Elise Brady USC EDU340 Practicum North Arm State School Year 3

Week 1 Lesson 1/3 - Mathematics

Subject: Mathematics Time: 11:40 1:10 Date: 14/10/2015

Subject Area Focus: Identifying fractions of collections and their multiples
Learning Objective:
Partition collections into halves, quarters and eighths
Identify 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 of a collection and their multiples
Record fraction using symbolic representation

Curriculum descriptor: Model and represent unit fractions including 1/4, 1/2, 1/3, 1/5 and their
multiples to a complete whole (ACMNA058)

Objectives:

For students to identify 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 of whole collections and their multiples
For students to partition into halves, quarters and eighths

Key Learning Indicators:

Students can identify 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 fractions

Students can record fractions using the symbolic representations
Students can identify equivalent fractions, e.g.:
i) One half = two quarters
ii) One half = four eighths
iii) Two quarts = four eighths

Monitoring/Assessment:

Observe students throughout the activities as they find, identify and record fractions. Record
outcomes on record sheet.

Differentiation:

Extension Worksheet on fractions

Support Teacher support for struggling students

Resources:

3 colours of play dough

4 coloured strips of paper per student
8 coloured blocks per student
Chalk + chalkboard
Glue
Mathematics exercise book
Focus: Draw students attention to the fun items at the front of the room

Engage: Tell students that today we will be learning about fractions through some fun, hands on
activities

Explicit Teaching: Explain to students that fractions are used when we need to count only part
of something. For example, we know this is a circle, (draw a circle on the board) but what if we
want to know how much this part of the circle is? (Shade in one quarter of the circle). Explain
that we use fractions to work this out.

Guided Learning: Use three different colours of play dough to demonstrate one whole, one half
and one quarter. Draw students attention to the fact that one half is smaller than one whole, and
one quarter is smaller than one half. Break the quarters balls into halves and ask students how
many balls there are now. Explain that they are called one eighths of the whole because there
are eight balls.

Exploration: Provide students with four different coloured strips of paper. Have them leave the
green strip whole, then cut the orange strip into half, the red into quarters, and the blue into
eighths. Students record on these strips the fraction name in symbolic and word representation,
and then glue these into their work books.

With the students strips still out for reference, give students each four coloured blocks. Explain
to them that together these four blocks make a whole. Have them place two blocks on either
side of their desks and ask them what amount of the whole, in fraction form, is on the left side of
their desk? Prompt students if necessary by reminding them of the options (one quarter, one
half etc). Explain that we can work out what the fraction is very simply using a circle. (Draw a
circle on the board). Ask the students how many blocks they have all together (four), and divide
the circle into this many pieces. Explain to them that the blocks and the circle are now the same;
there are four pieces in the whole. Ask students how many blocks are on the left side of their
desk, and colour in this many pieces of the circle. Show students that one half of the circle is
shaded, and relate this back to their blocks. Repeat this with one quarter, and then give each
student four more blocks and do the same activity with one half, one quarter and one eight of an
eight part collection.

Conclusion: Ask certain students to come up to the board and draw shapes on the board,
shading in different fractions of them. Have other students come up and write the symbolic
representation of these fractions on the board.

Challenge/food for thought: How many fifths are in a whole? How many thirds are in a whole?