Lesson 41: Visual Fractions
Lesson Objectives
- Define fractions as equal parts of a whole using manipulatives and pictures
- Write fractions as the number of shaded parts compared to the total number of parts
- Label and create all fractional parts through three-fourths
- Recognize and use fourths as quarters
- Divide pictures of real-world objects into fractional parts
- See the relationship of division and fractions
Materials
- Extend Workbook (Page 41)
- Counters or manipulatives
- Fraction manipulatives (e.g. base ten blocks, fraction strips, pizza fractions, shape fractions)
- Highlighters, markers, or crayons
- Whiteboards and dry erase markers
Step 1: Warm Up (5 min)
Review the vocabulary for today’s lesson. Show the parts of a fraction (number above the line, number below the line, and show some actual examples) and read the fractions (½ is one-half, 2/3 is two-thirds) and provide a visual example of each. Next, distribute five counters to each pair of students. Ask how many equal parts are there in this set of counters? Yes, 5. Tell each of them to touch a counter. Tell them that you and your partner must touch the same counter. This is one-fifth of the set of five counters. There are five equal parts. We are talking about one of the parts. Tell them to repeat the fraction sentence after you say it: This counter is one-fifth of the set of five counters. Tell them to touch another counter. How many counters are in this set? (5). Remind them that they are equal and the same size. Now you are talking about two-fifths of the set of counters: These two counters are two-fifths of the set of five counters.
Step 2: Vocab Review (5 min)
Introduce new vocabulary: halves, thirds, fourths, fraction, sections, whole, parts, and shaded. Explain that they will be learning about fractions today, and fractions are equal parts of a whole. Give real-life examples (pizzas, half a pair of gloves, two-thirds of a set of triplets, four-fourths of the leaves on a four-leaf clover).
Step 3: Model (5 min)
Continue reviewing examples of fractions in their everyday life. Ask students how many total members are in their family, including themselves (e.g. There are four members in my family, I am one-fourth of my family. Now, move on to visual examples of fractions, showing various examples (½, 1/3, ¼, 2/3). Under each fraction, write the fraction in word form (one-half, one-third, one-fourth, two-thirds). Shade in the fraction listed for each fraction visual. Remind students that fractions are smiliar to division: In fractions, the whole is the total number of equal parts, the bottom number. The top number is how many shaded parts we have. The parts have to be equal. For ½, review that there are two parts, and one is shaded. Remember, the bottom number tells the number of equal parts, and the top number tells how many are being used. Review each fraction, going over vocabulary: whole, parts, and shaded.
Step 4: Guided Practice (5 min)
Before students practice shading in fractions, review that both the number of parts we are talking about and the total number of parts that make up the whole are the same. With 1/1, we have one whole that has one part, and we are talking about that one part. It is referred to as a whole. For 2/2, we have two-halves (still one total whole). For 3/3, we have three-thirds (still one total whole). Write a fraction on the board, and have students write on their white boards (¼). Tell students to draw a rectangle with four equal parts (model this). Remind students that the bottom number means the total equal parts of the fraction (4), ask what the top number means (how many parts they have), and ask how many parts should be shaded (1). Have students work in pairs, giving them fractions to work through: write the fraction, draw the fraction (give them examples for support, e.g. circle, rectangle), then shade in the correct number of parts.
Step 5: Student Practice (5 min)
Go to Student Workbook Page (41). Read the directions for each problem. Tell students they will be focusing on shading the correct number of parts in each visual example of the fraction provided. They will either shade in parts within one object (e.g. one half of a circle), or shade so many objects out of the total provided (e.g. ¾ of the set of objects = 3 of the 4 soccer balls provided). Go through each problem, shading in the number of parts listed, or the number of objects listed in the fraction. At the bottom of the page, read the fraction word problems, write the fraction in the space provided and shade in or color in the visual (¾ of the pizza/4 of the birds). Support as needed.
Step 6: Wrap Up (5 min)
To wrap up the lesson, review the learning objectives and core vocabulary words again and ask your students about their experience.
