Through this lesson students will understand that fractions are part of a whole. Students will identify halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, eights of a whole. They will use terms numerator, denominator and write fractions from models of fractions.
Introduce fractions and mixed numbers using paper plates
The CyberSquad solves the problem of giving equal parts of two apples to Cerberus, the three headed dog of Greek mythology, in this video from Cyberchase.
The CyberSquad builds a raft out of squares in order to cross a river in this Cyberchase video segment.
Students apply their knowledge of geometric terms to follow directions while folding an origami sculpture. Students then solve math problems which relate to the project with follow-up discussions about the project relating to geometric terms such as symmetry, faces, edges, square, triangle, plane, etc.
Students need many concrete experiences with fractions to develop a deep understanding of the three models of fractions: area, linear and set models. Teachers need to address all three models in well-designed instructional activities so that students develop a rich concept of fractions that they can use to make sense of numbers, operations, measurement and probability. The Math Tours include: activities, problem solving, games, writing to learn, templates, math-literature connections, and web links. Each page has a left navigation bar to easily take you through the tour and back to the homepage or the math topics page.
