Math Lesson Plan

Alyson Miller
Multiplying Fractions
Grade 5
Utah State Mathematics Core
Domain: Number and Operations Fractions
Cluster /content standard: Standard 4: Apply and extend previous
understandings of multiplications to multiply a fraction or whole
numbers by a fraction.
Standard 6: Solve real world problems involving multiplication of
fractions and mixed numbers.
Practice Standards:
Standard 1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving
them
Standard 2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively
Standard 3: Construct viable arguments and critique the
reasoning of others
Standard 6: Attend to precision
Learning Goal(s)/Essential Question(s)
Students will be able to compare and apply strategies for
multiplying fractions independently.
Background Information
Students need to have a basic understanding of how fractions
work; numerator, denominator, division line, etc.
Students need to know multiplication and division facts
Students need to know how to simplify fractions
Materials/Resources indicate what the teacher will need as well as
what the students will need
Textbook: Math Expressions
Personal Notes: Students fold up a piece of paper into 16 parts.
They keep notes on this piece of paper where each problem gets
its own square.
Worksheets:
Assessment:
Invitation to Learn/ Focus Task
Can you solve this problem?
o 3 * 5
10 12

Or what about this problem?

o 1 * 1
2
4
Which one was easier to answer? What do you notice about the
two answers?
o Do you think there is a way to make math problems easier
to do before we even attempt the problem?

Instruction Procedures How will the lesson be presented?

1. Multiply and simplify the following 4/10 * 5/16
2. So, when we did this problem, what did we do first? (Multiply)
and second? (Simplify).
3. Now we are going to simplify first and multiply second! Will
our answer be the same or different?
4. Simplify 3/10 * 5/12 by simplifying first. Ask: how many times
will 3 go into 12? How many times will 5 go into 10?
5. Open math books and do problems 2-12.
6. Practice this skill by solving word problems
a. Example: In the Fireside Ski Shop, 11/28 of the ski caps
have tassels. Of the caps with tassels, 7/11 is blue.
What fractions of the caps in the shop are blue with
tassels? Write an equation, then solve.
7. Assessment: Exit ticket
a. Pass out a small piece of paper to each student. Student
should split the piece of paper in half. Then, solve the
problems:
6/15 * 3/12
A clothing store has 45 T-shirts in stock. Of these Tshirts, 7/15 has short sleeves. How many of the T-shirts
have short sleeves?
Lesson Wrap Up
This lesson will come to a close as students finish up the practice
problems in their book. We will come back together as a class
and solve a couple more problems, by picking some that were
done on the students work page on the board. Students who
completed the problems will show how they did it and we will
decide as a class if they are right or not. Ask students why it is
helpful to simplify fractions before multiplying them. When can
we use this skill?
Adaptations for different student needs
At my site school, there are two fifth grade teachers. They have
teamed up during math time and split the kids up according to
math ability. One group has the students who are on track or

gifted and the other as students who need extra support. During
this unit, I will be teaching the students on or above level. For
students above level, I will ask them to explain in words, or
orally, why you can simplify by dividing numbers out diagonally.
Why dont we divide out strait across?
I have integrated cultural relevance into this lesson requiring
students to solve a real world problem in the assessment.

Assessment
Pass out a small piece of paper to each student. Student should split
the piece of paper in half. Then, solve the problems:
1. 6/15 * 3/12
2. A classroom has 25 students in the classroom. Of these students,
2/5 speaks Spanish. How many of the students in the class speak
Spanish?