|
CANDY
FRACTIONS LESSON PLAN
Academic Language Focus
• How to distinguish between an area model, discrete model and number line
• How to sort and categorize candies by color
• What it means to record data
• What it means to show the same quantity as a fraction, decimal and
percentage
Key Vocabulary
Area model, discrete model, numerator, denominator, percentage, fraction,
decimal
Lesson Materials
• Candy Fractions worksheets
• A cookie, some coins and a ruler
• Small paper cups
• A bag of small, unwrapped candies
• Pencils, crayons, colored tape.
Introduction
Write the fraction ¼ on the board. Have students identify the numerator
(part) and denominator (whole). Explain to students that there are other
ways to write this fraction. Show students how to show ¼ as a decimal and as
a percentage. Write one or two more fractions and have students convert or
tell you how to convert them in to decimals and percentages.
Erase everything on the board except ¼.
Ask a student to show the class how to draw this as a model. Most likely,
the student will make a pie chart and shade in one fourth. Show the students
a cookie and with colored tape, mark off ¼. Tell students that this is an
area model. Remind students that an area model can be a square, rectangle or
any other plane. Explain that there are two other models that we could use
to show ¼. Pull out a ruler and tell students that this is an example of a
number line.
Explain that 12 inches is the whole and
ask students what they think ¼ of the 12 in. is. Mark off three inches with
the tape to show ¼. Next, tell students there is yet another way to show ¼.
Set out some coins (pennies and nickels) and ask a student volunteer to show
that ¼ of a group of coins are pennies. A student can show 1 penny and 3
nickels, 2 pennies and 6 nickels, etc. Tell students that this is a discrete
model, since the parts of the whole are separate objects.
Display the three models of ¼ in the
classroom for students to refer to.
Body
Ask 3 students with fair hair to stand up in front of the class. Ask 2
students with dark hair to stand up in front of the class.
-
Ask students what is the whole (5).
-
Ask student students what fraction
of the students has fair hair (3/5).
-
What fraction has brown hair? (2/5)
-
What type of model is this?
(discrete)
Pass out small cups of candy to students
(10-20 pieces per cup) and the Candy Fraction packet (see
printables). Tell
students that today we are going to be working with a discrete model- pieces
of candy. We are going to divide our candy samples by color to find out what
colors we have as fractions of our whole sample.
Read through the whole packet with
students and do steps 1 and 2 together as a class. Chose a color to do
together as an example and answer any questions that come up (fill in the
table and bar graph for that one color as a class). Remind students that
they will have different answers since they all have different samples.
Students can then fill in their packet with the rest of the colors.
Closure
To review the major concepts, have students choose one fraction they found
and draw sketches of it as an area model, discrete model and number line.
Have students share their findings with a partner and post their tables and
bar graphs on a bulletin board.
More Fraction
Worksheets and Lessons
More
Math Lessons, Worksheets, and Lesson Plans
 For more
teaching material, lesson plans,
lessons, and worksheets please go back to the InstructorWeb home page.
|
