Fun with Fractions

In this unit, students explore relationships among fractions through work with the length model. This early work with fraction relationships helps students make sense of basic fraction concepts and facilitates work with comparing and ordering fractions and working with equivalency.

Math Content

Students will:

• demonstrate understanding that a fraction can be represented as part of a linear region
• describe part of a linear region using fractions
• demonstrate understanding of fraction relationships by representing fractions in a variety of ways
• compare fractions to determine if one fraction is greater than, less than, or equal to another fraction
• order fractions from least to greatest or greatest to least
• identify fraction relationships using different "wholes" as a reference
• identify equivalent fractions
• identify the fraction in lowest terms
• measure fractional lengths using a standard (inch) ruler

Individual Lessons

Lesson 1 - Making and Investigating Fraction Strips

Students make and use a set of fraction strips to represent the length model, discover fraction relationships, and work with equivalent fractions.

Lesson 2 - More Fun with Fraction Strips

Students continue to work with fraction strips to compare and order fractions. This lesson builds on the work done with fraction relationships in the previous lesson. Students develop skills in problem solving and reasoning as they make connections between various fractions.

Lesson 3 - Investigating Fraction Relationships with Relationship Rods

Students use relationship rods to explore fraction relationships. This work with relationships lays the foundation for work with more challenging fraction concepts.

Relationship rods are wooden or plastic rods in ten different colors. They range in length from one to ten centimeters. Each length is a different color.

Lesson 4 - Investigating Equivalent Fractions with Relationship Rods

Students investigate the length model by working with relationship rods to find equivalent fractions. Students develop skills in reasoning and problem solving as they explain how two fractions are equivalent (the same length).

Lesson 5 - Inch by Inch

In this lesson, students use a ruler to represent various fractions as lengths. This lesson builds on the work done in the previous lessons with as students use a standard instrument to measure a variety of items, including items which can be measured to the nearest half and quarter of an inch.