How can I represent a fraction with a picture?
Our math focus question for day 2 ended up being quite simple for my students to answer. That energized me and allowed me to alter the lesson on the spot and add a few challenges to the circle geoboard lesson, like finding and representing 1/12 of a circle.
I thought that students would have the most difficult time creating 1/3 of a circle, but I was pleasantly surprised when this came easily to the majority of the groups. Getting students to use the Geoboard before simply drawing out the different fractions proved to be the largest problem. Oh the math practices and the heartache that can sometimes come with them!
Students had easy transitions into their groups and partnerships today, which was wonderful to hear and see. I have a voice level chart in my room anyway, which helps to monitor such events in the classroom. I think that the numbering around the room is also helping in these transitions. Label everything you can to make math workshop run smoothly!
Partner Math Parallel Questions
How do you know that 1/2 is larger than 1/3?
How do you know that 1/2 is larger than 1/4?
How do you know that one whole is larger than 1/2?
Take Aways from Day 2
One aha! moment for me was actually during the independent math portion of the workshop. At least 3 different students let me know that they had forgotten what each comparing symbols meant (<,>). Yikes! I need to print off Comparing Symbols bookmarks for my students so that those symbols are easily remembered.
Yesterday I had three students that circled either 1/3 or 2/3 to represent one whole, which obviously concerned me. So today during our independent math portion of class I invited them to my work table to talk about this concept. Turns out that one of these students knows an infinite amount of fractions that equal one...so I am thinking that he just rushed through the problem because it was the end of class. That's another issue to tackle, but I'm happy to know that his answer was not because of a misunderstanding.
The other two students who circled fractions besides the whole took a little longer to come around and I am only convinced that one of them now understands and would be able to recognize fractions that represent the number one independently.
I wrote a variety of fractions on their white boards and asked them to circle the fraction that meant the same as one whole. Both were able to complete this task with success, but only one was able to create different examples of fractions that equal one whole.
I will provide another re-engagement the next time we meet, but this time it will be with some different manipulatives...maybe some of that lovely Dollar Tree clay I found last week!
Loving this math unit but we have an assembly tomorrow, which means no math...no school Friday...I have a meeting on Monday...
So no math until next Tuesday?? What am I going to do with myself...sigh.
Love your blog post. Students sometimes seem to have difficulty grasping the concept of fractions. Here is a really cool presentation I attended on proportional reasoning by Marian Small. There are some really interesting concepts in that presentation.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.eosdn.on.ca/docs/Marian%20Small%20Slideshow%20Sept.%2027,%20Oct.%207,8.pdf
Have a great day,
Martin Owner at Resources 4 Teaching Inc. Created by Teachers, Exclusively for Teachers