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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Class attributes

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L341

A lesson plan for Grades 3–5 Mathematics

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

About this resource

Appropriate grades
3–5
Subjects
mathematics (number sense, number theory, probability, statistics)
Provider
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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During this lesson, students create their own classroom survey or use previously generated questions to study the class and describe the set [class] in fractional parts. This lesson requires that students identify fractions in real-world contexts from a set of items that are not identical. This lesson is integrated with other areas of the math curriculum, including data analysis and statistics. Illuminations provides an activity sheet, a link to the bar graph applet, and instructions for completing the lesson.

Students will:

  • Demonstrate understanding that a fraction can be represented as part of the set, given some number of items.
  • Develop and conduct a survey.
  • Use fractional components to describe their class attributes, for example, gender, hair color, and so forth.
  • Identify fraction relationships associated with the set.
  • Reduce fractions to their lowest terms.

NCTM Standards and Expectations:

  • Collect data using observations, surveys, and experiments.
  • Represent data using tables and graphs such as line plots, bar graphs, and line graphs.
  • Develop understanding of fractions as parts of unit wholes, as parts of a collection, as locations on number lines, and as divisions of whole numbers.
  • Recognize and generate equivalent forms of commonly used fractions, decimals, and percents.
  • Use models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to judge the size of fractions.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 3

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will model, identify, and compute with whole numbers through 9,999.
    • Objective 1.05: Use area or region models and set models of fractions to explore part-whole relationships.
      • Represent fractions concretely and symbolically (halves, fourths, thirds, sixths, eighths).
      • Compare and order fractions (halves, fourths, thirds, sixths, eighths) using models and benchmark numbers (zero, one-half, one); describe comparisons.
      • Model and describe common equivalents, especially relationships among halves, fourths, and eighths, and thirds and sixths.
      • Understand that the fractional relationships that occur between zero and one also occur between every two consecutive whole numbers.
      • Understand and use mixed numbers and their equivalent fraction forms.
    • Objective 1.06: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use data and simple probability concepts.
    • Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including circle graphs and tables) to solve problems.

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.03: Solve problems using models, diagrams, and reasoning about fractions and relationships among fractions involving halves, fourths, eighths, thirds, sixths, twelfths, fifths, tenths, hundredths, and mixed numbers.
    • Objective 1.05: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs, probability, and data analysis.
    • Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including line graphs and bar graphs) to solve problems.
    • Objective 4.03: Solve problems by comparing two sets of related data.

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will understand and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.02: Develop fluency in adding and subtracting non-negative rational numbers (halves, fourths, eighths; thirds, sixths, twelfths; fifths, tenths, hundredths, thousandths; mixed numbers).
      • Develop and analyze strategies for adding and subtracting numbers.
      • Estimate sums and differences.
      • Judge the reasonableness of solutions.
    • Objective 1.03: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.
  • Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will understand and use graphs and data analysis.
    • Objective 4.01: Collect, organize, analyze, and display data (including stem-and-leaf plots) to solve problems.
    • Objective 4.02: Compare and contrast different representations of the same data; discuss the effectiveness of each representation.