EDMA310/360 Mathematics unit planner

[Sarah Baker]
Unit Overview

Unit title: Introduction to fractions
Content Maths Area: Fractions
Grade/year level: Level 3 Model and represent unit fractions including 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 and
their multiples to a complete whole (AusVELS, 2013).

Learning Focus:
Strand: Number and Algebra
Sub-strand: Fractions and decimals
Proficiency stand: Understanding representing unit fractions

Rationale:
Fractions are difficult to teach and to learn, however they should not be ignored in the
classroom (Clarke, Roche & Mitchell, 2008, p. 373). Fractions are important for children to learn
as it helps with future mathematics learning in algebra and probability and help in understanding
proportional reasoning (Clarke, Roche & Mitchell, 2008, p. 373).

Assumed prior knowledge of students:
This will be the childrens first lesson on fractions.

Grouping strategies to support learning:
Mixed ability grouping will take place for all of my lessons unless I am conducting a focus group
as it is at this time that children with the same needs will be in this focus group. The reason for
doing mixed ability grouping is because Clarke & Clarke (2008) suggest that ability grouping is
only beneficial for high achieving students but for average and low-attaining students this can
have a negative impact (pp. 3).

Overview of assessment:
NCTM (as cited in Reys Lindquist, Lambdin & Smith, 2007) states that assessment should
support the learning of important mathematics and provide useful information to teachers and
students (p. 70). I will be using both formative and summative assessment as they both provide
different reasons for assessing. Formative assessment is assessment for learning which informs
teacher planning, allows teachers to make instructional decisions and helps monitor student
progress (Reys et al., 2007, p. 94). Whereas summative assessment is assessment of learning and
is primarily used to gain insight into what students know and are able to do (Reys et al., 2007, p.
94). Performance tasks are generally open-ended and allow for problem solving skills to be used
(Reys et al., 2007, p. 81). It is useful to pair students for performance tasks so that you can
observe the conversations that take place (Reys et al., 2007, p. 81).
References:

Clarke, D., Roche, A., & Mitchell, A. (2008). Ten practical tips for making fractions come alive
and make sense. Mathematics teaching in the middle school, 13(7), 372-380. Retrieved
from http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/166807900
Clarke, D., & Clarke, B. (2008). Is time up for ability grouping? Curriculum and leadership
journal. 6(5). Retrieved from http://cmslive.curriculum.edu.au/leader/default.asp?id=
22535
Reys, R. E., Lindquist, M. M., Lambdin, D. V., & Smith, N. L. (2007). Helping children learn
mathematics. (8
th
ed.). Milton, Qld.: John Wiley & Sons.
MATHEMATICS UNIT PLANNER
Topic: Fractions Year Level: 3 Term: 2 Week: 3 Date: 17/09/13
Key mathematical understandings
(2-4 understandings only; written as statements believed to be
true about the mathematical idea/topic):
Equal parts when partitioning fractions
The same size whole when comparing
fractions



Key AusVELS Focus / Standard (taken directly from AusVELS documents):
Content strand(s): Number and Algebra Measurement and Geometry Statistics and Probability
Sub-strand(s): Fractions and decimals

Level descriptions:
Model and represent unit fractions including 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5 and their multiples to a complete whole
(AusVELS, 2013).

Proficiency strand(s): Understanding Fluency Problem Solving Reasoning
Understanding includes connecting number representations with number sequences, partitioning and combining numbers
flexibly, representing unit fractions, using appropriate language to communicate times, and identifying environmental symmetry.
Possible misconceptions (list of misconceptions related to
the mathematical idea/topic that students might develop):
May not use the same sized whole when
comparing fractions therefore the answer may be
incorrect.
May not use equal sized parts when partitioning
therefore their answer may be incorrect.


Key skills to develop and practise (including strategies,
ways of working mathematically, language goals, etc.) (4-5 key skills
only):
Partition fractions into 1/2, 1/4, 1/3 and 1/5 using
paper folding method.
Use mathematical language and symbols when
talking about fractions (numerator and
denominator).
Compare fractions and determine which is larger
and smaller.
Locate fractions (1/2, 1/4, 1/3 and 1/5) on a
number line.
Key equipment / resources:
Paper
Cuisenaire rods
Key probing questions (focus questions that will be used to
develop understanding to be used during the sequence of lessons; 3 5
probing questions):
Can you explain how you arrived at this answer?
Can you prove it to me?
Does it work all the time?

Links to other contexts (if applicable, e.g., inquiry unit focus,
current events, literature, etc.):
N/A


Key vocabulary:
- Equal - Numerator
- Half - Denominator
- Quarter - Compare
- Third - Whole
- Fifth - Partition
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Analysing
Checking
Classifying
Co-operating
Considering options
Designing
Elaborating

Estimating
Explaining
Generalising
Hypothesising
Inferring
Interpreting
Justifying

Listening
Locating information
Making choices
Note taking
Observing
Ordering events
Organising

Performing
Persuading
Planning
Predicting
Presenting
Providing feedback
Questioning

Reading
Recognising bias
Reflecting
Reporting
Responding
Restating
Revising

Seeing patterns
Selecting information
Self-assessing
Sharing ideas
Summarising
Synthesising

Testing
Viewing
Visually representing
Working independently
Working to a timetable

MATHEMATICAL
FOCUS

(what you want the children
to come to understand as a
result of this lesson short,
succinct statement)
TUNING IN
(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)
(a short, sharp task relating to the
focus of the lesson; sets the scene/
context for what students do in the
independent aspect. e.g., It may be a
problem posed, spider diagram, an
open-ended question, game, or
reading a story)
INVESTIGATIONS
SESSION
(INDEPENDENT LEARNING)
(extended opportunity for students to
work in pairs, small groups or
individually. Time for teacher to probe
childrens thinking or work with a small
group for part of the time and to also
conduct roving conferences)
REFLECTION & MAKING
CONNECTIONS
SESSION
(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)
(focused teacher questions and
summary to draw out the mathematics
and assist children to make links. NB.
This may occur at particular points
during a lesson. Use of spotlight,
strategy, gallery walk, etc.)
ADAPTATIONS

- Enabling prompt
(to allow those experiencing difficulty to
engage in active experiences related to
the initial goal task)
- Extending prompt
(questions that extend students
thinking on the initial task)
ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES

(should relate to objective. Includes
what the teacher will listen for,
observe, note or analyse; what
evidence of learning will be collected
and what criteria will be used to
analyse the evidence)
Session 1
Understand the
role of the
numerator and
denominator.
Partition a whole
into 1/2, 1/4 and
1/3
Give child a concept map
(Appendix 1) as a pre-
assessment to gain prior
knowledge of children.

What is a fraction?
What does a fraction look
like?
Can you write as many
different ways to represent a
fraction using words,
symbols, drawings and
sentence problems.






Open ended task:
Pose this problem
A) You have 1 piece of paper
and you need to share it
EQUALLY between 2
people. How much paper do
you give each person? Is there
a fraction name for that? How
do you know?

B) What happens if you had 4
people that needed to share it?
How much paper do you give
each person?

C) What happens if you had 3
people that needed to share it?
How much paper do you give
each person?
Share and discuss:
Children come together and
share their thoughts and
explanations as to how many
pieces each person will get
and why.
This will be conducted in a
safe environment where all
students feel comfortable
sharing their opinions and
findings.
Enabling prompt:
How will you
divided the paper
into 2 equal parts?
How can you check
if they are equal?
Extending prompt:
In which scenario
(A, B or C) would
you choose if you
wanted to get the
biggest piece of
paper? Why? How
did you work it out?

Formative assessment:
(assessment for learning)
The pre-assessment
concept map to assess
childrens prior knowledge
to inform teacher planning.


Session 2
Explain and
understand the
role of the
numerator and
denominator.

Chocolate task:
Bring in 3 slabs of chocolate.
Children are to stand behind
one slab and make a decision
as to where they will get the
most chocolate.
After every student is
standing behind one slab of
chocolate get each group to
lift the chocolate over their
heads. Eg/ if there were 10
people in the first group we
would say that each person
would get 1/10 of the slab. As
it was 1 slab over 10 people.
(Adapted from Clarke,
2013).
Discuss what the role of the
numerator and the
denominator is.
Do some examples with (1/2,
1/3, 1/4 and 1/5 and their
multiples). As well as
improper fractions.

Give children a few fractions
to draw visual representations
for each (1/2, 2/3, 4/4, 6/5).

How do you know the
name/size of the whole? What
tells you this?
How do you know how many
to shade? What tell you this?
.
Gallery walk:
Children leave their work on
the table and the class walks
around. Each student has
some sticky notes and they
write questions on it and stick
them next to someones work
if they want clarification or
dont understand their
thinking.

After the walk is done teacher
then reads the questions that
were asked and gets the
students whose work it is to
explain.
Enabling prompt:
Fold a half with a
piece of paper.
How many pieces
can you see in my
whole? How many
am I attending too?
Are those numbers in
1/2? Where? Can
you try it with
another fraction?
Extending prompt:
Get children to come
up with some of their
own fractions and
draw representations
for them.
Summative assessment:
(assessment of learning)
Children will engage in the
task and teach will assess
their knowledge of the
numerator and the
denominator by their results
to the questions and their
ability to clearly explain and
show working to how they
know the answer.
Teacher to take
anecdotal notes
Session 3
Relate the
number of parts
to the size of a
fraction.

Rods and trains:

If the brown rod is 1 whole.
What is the purple rod?






Children to complete a range
of problems that involve
using the rods (see appendix 2
a few examples) in pairs.


Compare and justify:
Children compare answers
with the another group and
justify why they believe their
answer is correct and how
they worked it out.

Share and discuss:
Children then gather on the
floor as a whole class and the
discussion about the answers
take place. It is important for
the teacher to ask suitable
questions such as those listed
in the probing questions.
Enabling prompt:
What colour would
be 1/2 of the green
rod? How do you
know it is half?
Extending prompt:
Make a different
problem for your
partner and allow
them to try and solve
it this allows
students to be
involved in the
thinking process of
how to come up with
the fractions.
Performance
tasks/observations:
As students engage in the
open-ended task of the rods
and trains, teacher will rove
and observe student
conversations that take
place. These conversations
should inform the teacher of
the childrens mathematical
thinking.
Teacher to take
anecdotal notes
Session 4
Partition a whole
into 1/2, 1/3, 1/4
and 1/5 and their
multiples, and
determine which
is larger.
Open-ended task:
Which is larger 1/2, 1/3 or
1/4? How do you know?
Explain and draw.






Comparing and contrasting:
Children are given different
laminated shapes and fraction
cards (see appendix 3 for an
example).
Children are to use the
laminated shapes to represent
the fraction on the fraction
cards, however they like by
using the fraction as the
whole or drawing the whole
around the laminated shape.


Share and discuss:
Children are to share the
method they used and how
they were able to determine
which was larger
Enabling prompt:
How can you
compare 2 things?
Could you draw
them all? What
would you do next?
Do all of your
wholes need to be
the same size?
Extending prompt:
Compare the
multiples of these
fractions 1/2, 1/3,
1/4 and 1/5
Summative assessment:
(assessment of learning)
Childrens ability to record
which fraction is larger and
why.
Teacher to view
students work and
listen to
conversations that
take place when
deciding which is
larger and why?
Session 5
Locating unit
fractions on a
number line.
Talk about number lines
This is an introduction to
fractions on a number line.
Ask children what a number
line is, can it go below 1?


Fractions on a number line:
Draw a number line on the
floor (quite large) from 0 to 1.
Ask students to place 1/2, 1/3,
1/4 and 1/5.
How do you know it goes
there?
Draw the multiples on the
number line too.
Reflect and discuss:
Children talk about they have
learnt from this lesson.
How to know where to place
a number on a number line
Benchmarking.

Enabling prompt:
Give children a
common fraction to
place on the number
line (1/2, 1/4, 1/3)
Extending prompt:
Give children a more
challenging number
to place on the
number line
Formative assessment:
(assessment for learning)
Teacher to observe what
children are saying and how
much they know about
number lines.
These discussions will
inform future teacher
planning about fractions on
number lines.
































Appendix 1:

Words



















Sentence problems Symbols




















Drawing


Fractions

Appendix 2:

Draw visual representations to help explain and show your answers.

1) If the green rod is one whole, how much is a red rod? How much is a white rod?









2) If the purple rod is one whole, how much is a red rod? How much is a white rod?










3) If the red/orange rod is one whole, how much is a red rod? How much is a yellow rod? What colour will you need if you want to find 1/3 of
the red/orange rod?











Appendix 3:








1

2
3

4
2

3
5

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