Lesson Plan 10

Activity Title:	Fractions, Fractions, Fractions Grade Level: 4
Rationale:	Students will use and encounter fractions in their everyday lives. This lesson will reinforce the concept of equivalent fractions. It will allow students to comprehend that like fractions do not have the same names, but are still “equivalent.”
Goals:	Students will apply knowledge and number sense including numeration and operations. Students will also investigate, report, represent, and solve problems using number facts and their properties by solving one and two step problems involving fractions.
Objective:	Students will identify equivalent fractions at the symbolic level and explain the equivalence.
Readiness/Pre-assessment:	Students should know how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Also should understand the concept of “equal.” We have been working on these concepts since the beginning of the year, and I know most students have adequate skills in these areas. Students should have encountered fractional vocabulary in third and fourth grades. Their fractional encounters should also have been with the concepts of adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators. Plus they will have encountered the concept of fractions being parts of a whole.
Materials and equipment needed:	Fractions strips (attached).
Introduction:	Once again the students will at the freaction strips created on day 10.
Instruction:	Each student will receive a piece of typing paper. We will again explore the concept that a fraction is part of a whole as we divide our paper into parts, but realizing that it still is a whole. I will have the students label their paper sections. I will draw a square on the board and shade in 1/2 of the square. I will choose a student to come and write the fractioal part of the square that I shaded. We will once again review the concepts of denominator/numerator. I will give the students the following question: Mom says that I can invite seven friends over to have a party and that they will need to share brownies with me. We will discuss how to divide the brownies fairly. Students should realize that the brownies would need to be divided into at least 8 parts in order for each person to receive a fair portion. Each student will receive squares in order to complete the above problem. I will then ask that if browniewswere divied into 8 parts how many would we need in order for our class to have a brownie party. We will then decide how many brownies we need for one piece, two pieces, three pieces per person. Iwill then actuall have brownies that are uncut for the students visually compare to their reasoning. We will begin by cutting them in halves, fourths, and so on until their are 8 pieces. As I do this, I will ask if the studnets notice that two fourths of a brownie is the same as 1/2, etc.
Evaluation of Lesson:	I will want to see if this lesson would stay within the time frame allotted for it. Did the students meet the objectives of understanding of dividing the strips into equal halves, thirds ? What questions did they ask? Did I answer knowledgably so as they could understand? Did I give clear, concise demonstrations and directions? Did I have all the materials available? Did the way I had students participate work well or do I need to review this part of the lesson? Did the students grasp the understanding of equivalent parts of one fraction being the same as a different fraction (ex: 1/2 equivalent to 2-1/4’s)?
Of students:	I need to ask questions throughout to make sure the students understand the concepts of equivalent fractions. Next, I need to be sure that each student grasps the concept of the word equivalent and understanding that it does not necessarily mean “equal to.” Also, I need to evaluate that students do see how the fractions are equivalent and why. Do they understand that it is a concept of division (something they are familiar with)? I need to record all of their questions. I will also include some similar work in their journals and see if they can demonstrate this concept individually. If I see any problems with the demonstrating of this concept, I will further develop this lesson to extend it for their understanding through my individual math conferences each week. I will assign a problem solving questions for homework that the students will complete. I will assign a problem that mimics the one above.
Individualization:	Remediation: Have the student work with water or rice again to see if this will help with further conception of equivalent fractions. Seeing that it does actually take 2-1/4 cups to fill 1/2 of a cup will help with this realization of equivalency. .
	Enrichment: Have the students come up with plans to help students that are having trouble grasping this concept of equivalent fractions. Their ways of explaining the concept might be on the level needed for those students having difficulty.
	Special Needs: Make sure to work individually with these students. Also make sure groups include a peer that usually grasps new concepts quickly in order to help with demonstrating. Have the resource teacher give the student squares divided into halves, fourths, etc. and let the color in the shapes, then cut apart. This way they can place the fourths over the halves. This will demonstrate the fact that the fourths are equivalent to the halves.
Self-Reflections:	_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ This section will be to reflect on how the lesson went with the students and if I would have any changes etc. the next I would use this lesson.