Students generate and explore equivalent fractions using Cuisenaire rods.
- One set of Cuisenaire rods per student
OR
Relationship Rods Printout
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Lesson 3 Activity Sheet
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Lesson 3 Activity Sheet Answer Key
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Assessment Scoring Guide
Introduce
Engage students by asking them to share their understanding from the previous lesson where they generated fractional names for the rods and were introduced to equivalence. Ask students to describe what they have learned about fractions using the length model. Encourage the use of the vocabulary words numerator and denominator.
Ask:
- “What have you been doing with these rods?”
- “How have they helped you learn about fractions?
Students ideas might include:
- Different pieces can be designated as the whole.
- The denominator tells us how many of those pieces make up the whole.
- Different rods can have different names depending on the whole.
- You can put some rods together to make up other rods.
Explore
Use the Lesson 3, Investigating Equivalent Fractions Activity Sheet (you can find all downloadables in the Materials section above). Have students work #1 and #2 on the activity sheet with their partner to generate all the possible ways to build the dark green rod using multiples of the same color. Have them share a few ways with the whole class, just to be sure they’re all headed in the right direction. Prompt students to keep working with the rods until they model and record all possible fraction equivalences. Share student work using a document camera.
Marrie will add pictures of student work for #1 and #2 from the student sheet.
Continue in the same manner with questions #3 and #4 (with the brown rod) using it as an informal assessment as you observe and listen to them work.
This is a sample of work from two students for #3 & #4.
Synthesize
Summarize by asking students to turn and talk to their neighbor about what it means if two fractions are equivalent. (SMP 3)
Assessment
Questions 3 and 4 on the activity sheet can be used as assessment.
Listen to students summarize with their neighbor during the "turn and talk".
Use the scoring guide (see Materials section above) for questions 3 and 4 as an example.
The scoring guide is a tool for the teacher. It will inform you as to what students know and provide a tool to form small groups for re-teaching.
Teacher's notes to the students go directly in their journals/papers, indicating positive observations and questions focused on detected deficits.
Teacher Reflection
- How do you know which students can identify fraction relationships using different “wholes” as a reference? What activities are appropriate for students who have not yet developed this understanding?
- How do you know which students can identify equivalent fractions? What activities are appropriate for students who have not yet developed this understanding?
- What parts of the lesson went smoothly? What parts should be modified for the future?
- How does the type of questioning, the quality of student discourse, and your classroom culture impact the lesson’s success?
Leave your thoughts in the comments below.