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

Making and investigating fraction strips

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L540

A lesson plan for grades 3–4 Mathematics

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics


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Students make and use a set of fraction strips to represent the length model, discover fraction relationships, and work with equivalent fractions. Illuminations provides instructions and a link to a fraction applet necessary to complete this activity. After listing ways they use fractions in their daily lives, students use colored paper strips to explore parts of a whole. Then, once students have practiced with the paper strips, they participate in activities using an interactive computer program.

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.

NCTM Standards and Expectations covered in this lesson include:

  • Recognizing and generating equivalent forms of commonly used fractions, decimals, and percents.
  • Developing an understanding of fractions as parts of unit wholes, as parts of a collection, as locations on number lines, and as divisions of whole numbers.

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 1.01: Develop number sense for whole numbers through 9,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (ones through thousands).
      • Compare and order.
    • 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.

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for rational numbers 0.01 through 99,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (hundredths through ten thousands).
      • Compare and order rational numbers.
      • Make estimates of rational numbers in appropriate situations.
    • 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.