Lesson Plan 4

Activity Title:	Cooking Southern Style Grade Level: 4
Rationale:	Students will use and encounter fractions in their everyday lives. This lesson will reinforce the concept of adding fractions with like denominators. As students will have had previous encounters with adding and subtracting fractions this lesson will further develop these strengths by providing a concrete conception of adding fractions with like denominators. Further will develop the understanding that they will encounter fractions within their everyday lives and will need this skill to function in certain everyday life encounters.
Goals:	Students will apply knowledge and number sense including numeration and operations. Students will 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 fractions at the symbolic level and add fractions with like denominators by using models and pictures to further their understandings of these concepts.
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. Day’s two and three lessons will be the foundations to further support this lesson.
Materials and equipment needed:	Recipe (attached), hotplate (prior approval) sugar, cocoa, butter, milk, regular oatmeal, crunchy peanut butter, vanilla extract, saucepan, kitchen timer, teaspoon (kitchen), Pam, and rectangles of wax paper, measuring cups used from the day before and 7 small bowls. Extra milk to go with cookies.
Introduction:	Have items needed set out at the front of the room. Tell the children that they will be learning to become world famous chefs and to now place their special hat on their heads to become a famous chef (also to cover hair, but they do not have to know this). Then have students wash hands before beginning. Ask the students if they have ever helped their mom get ready for guests to come to their house or have they ever helped with the making of holiday cookies. Ask them about their encounters of their mothers saying they will have to double the recipe and ask the student why their mother may have done this.
Instruction:	First, have the students to review the recipe which should be written clearly on the board or placed on the overhead in the room. Talk about how this recipe will make only enough for each student to receive one cookie and since I want one and each student will probably want two then we will need to at least “triple” the recipe. Discuss with the students what this concept will mean and make sure they understand that will need “3” of each measurement offered. Also be sure that the students do not become confused by 3-3/4 being 9/4 which will equal 2 1/4 cups. To avoid this confusion have plenty of individual measuring cups available. For instance, make sure that there are 9-1/4 measuring cups. This will allow the students to concretely visualize that 9/4 equals 2 and 1/4 cups. They will be able to group the measuring cups themselves!! That’s exciting!! There will be students that will probably grasp this concept, but to avoid confusion just make sure that the students have access to others for questions concerning this concept. Also, be sure to point out how the first four ingredients are the only ones used to begin with and how important it is to place these ingredients in the saucepan in order to see if it make a difference in this recipe. Point out also how important reading is to follow through with this lesson. Finally, discuss if you would need to triple the cooking time as well as the ingredients. Ask why or why not. Next, have the students divide into 7 groups. Explain to the students that each group will be given a recipe ingredient for which they will be responsible for measuring out and placing into the recipe (Anytime students divide into groups it would be an excellent time to talk about the fractional part of the group as a whole!). Have each group discuss how much of their ingredient they will need if they “triple” the recipe. I need to make sure I am on hand for the groups where it could become confusing concerning the grouping of the 1/4 cups. Have each group measure out their ingredient and place within the small bowls. Now we are ready for cooking. Choose one student from each group to bring up their ingredient. Choose one student from each group to read their ingredient being added to the sauce pan. Choose a student to set the kitchen timer for one minute. After boiling the first ingredients add the others in a like manner as above. Quickly place the cookies on the wax paper. Discuss after placing all the cookies how many that you have. Did the recipe make more or less than it said it would. Discuss what fractional part you have if the recipe made more or less. Discuss how you would decide this. For example, if the recipe made less or more decide what fractional part of the “whole” will each person receive. Enjoy!!!!! This lesson could be extended (eventually ) to become abstract by giving the students various recipes to decide what would happen with the ingredients if they needed to be doubled, tripled, or maybe HALVED (challenging). However, always be ready to go back to semi-concrete ( having children using cups or spoons to represent their fractions) in case of confusion with the abstract.
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 adding like denominators? 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?
Of students:	I need to ask questions throughout to make sure the students understand the concepts of “triple, double, etc.” to make sure they understand that this is simply adding like denominators of fractions. I need to record questions asked and also need to record the groups and their understanding of making the various fractions. Ask questions of each group individually to see if students understand why doubling or tripling a recipe is simply the concept of adding fractions with like denominators and why this is so. Next, I need to concentrate on making sure of the conceptual understanding of each child individually. I could do this through the use of journal work and in my weekly individual math conferences by providing other recipes that we could discuss and use the measuring cups along with rice to make sure they understand the concepts of adding like fractions. I could also give a few homework assignments to assess individual understanding of concept by having them find a recipe they would like to discuss in class to see if it needs to be doubled or tripled and if so why and how.
Individualization:	Remediation: Have the student work with water or rice again to see if this will help with further conception of adding like denominators of fractions. Repeating a previously learned concept will many times enforce the same concept that uses different materials. Will help them transfer that the same thing if happening, but in a slightly different way.
	Enrichment: Have students interview the lunchroom ladies in the school and talk to them about how they use fractions in their cooking for the numerous of students that they prepare food for.
	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. Work with resource teacher to make sure they receive follow up on each concept introduced within the classroom using manipulatives at all times. Also when working individually with the students have items such as playdough that could represent the materials used in a recipe and provide measuring cups to further develop the concept of adding fractions with like denominators. Furthermore, check to see if any students are not allowed sweets or chocolate in their diet. Be sure to have fruit on hand which can also be divided into fractional parts to help with their understanding.
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.