Beatty+LG2


 * __Lesson Plan: Introduction to Fractions__**


 * Grade Level:** 4th
 * Length of Lesson:** 40-45 minutes
 * Unit Goal:** To give each student the knowledge that they need to comprehend basic fractions and how they are used in the world.

-- Students will engage in active learning with an introductory lesson to fractions. The focus will be on simple fractions, not to exceed the complexities of halves and quarters. --- Numbers and Operations
 * __OBJECTIVES:__**

M(N&O)-4-1 -- The student will convey an in-depth understanding of rational numbers, including whole numbers, and demonstrate thier understanding through manipulating and translating the numbers. They should be able to explain their understanding using models, oral or written explanations, and fractions.


 * Kelly: This is a good objective. What do you mean by conveying an "in-depth understanding"? You should be as specific as possible when outlining objectives, because that will give you specific items for planning, instruction, and assessment. (Dr. Adamy - 4/22)**

//**-- All students and/or groups will have the following…**// 1. fraction pizza 2. fraction pizza worksheet 3. chalk 4. waste basket or box 5. erasers 6. manipulatives 1. chalk or markers 2. worksheets 3. overhead projector 4. overhead fraction pizza 5. overhead manipulatives 6. teacher’s edition of the text book 7. __Hershey's Fractions__ book
 * __INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS/RESOURCES:__**
 * //-- The teacher will have the following…//**

-- For this lesson, the students will be introduced to the concepts of fractions in the form of halves and quarters. They will be given the opportunity to practice what they have learned and hopefully master their skills in the form of a game. 1. As today is the first lesson for the students on fractions, I am limited as to how much I can do to activate prior knowledge. 2. I will ask the students if any of them have ever heard of fractions, then I will ask if any of them have ever used fractions. More than likely they will say no, and I will explain to them how they use fractions everyday without even realizing it. BTS 1, 2 3. I will be reading the class the story, __[|Hershey's Fractions]__ by Jerry Pallotta. This should be something that is interesting to them and also serves as a good introductory tool. 4. As a class, we will make a list on the board of all of the things that we use fractions for in our everyday lives. (i.e.: pizza, money, gas tank, shoe sizes, etc.) 5. At this point I will begin to teach the lesson. 1. First I will demonstrate the proper way to write a fraction and explain what exactly the numbers and symbols mean. 2. Then I will explain how ½ fractions work. I will draw pictures and refer to diagrams for this exercise. Multiple examples will be used. 3. After these examples have been taught, I will then move on to teaching the students how to use ¼ fractions. 4. We will again use the pictures and diagrams to help the students form concrete images. 5. At this point in the lesson I will pass out manipulatives to all of the students. They will be asked to follow along using their manipulatives as we do sample problems on the overhead projector. 6. After a few minutes of this, after I have gotten a feeling that most, if not all, of the students understand the concepts, I will demonstrate how to use the fraction pizzas. 7. The children will be broken into small groups of 4-5. They will be working together to show many different ways in which to make a whole using different combinations of halves and quarters. BTS 6, 8 8. They will be given a worksheet to complete as they go along. They should be recording what combinations work and what combinations don’t work. BTS 5 9. When the worksheet is completed the students may mess about with the manipulatives and try to figure out how the eighths fractions used additional manipulatives. BTS 2 10. If time permits, I will allow the students the play a round of math basketball to further reinforce the skills that they have just learned. - To play math basketball, the class is divided into either 2 or 4 teams. - A representative from each team goes up to the board and stands ready to copy a problem. - The teacher calls out a problem and the students both at the board and in their seats, try to solve it as quickly as possible. - The student at the board who correctly completes the problem in the fastest time gets to take a shot at the basket. (The basket can either be a trash bin or a box, and the ball is an eraser.) - If none of the students at the board complete the assigned problem correctly, then they may ask 1 member from each of their teams to come up to the board to help them. 1. As a class we will be discussing what the students learned/discovered as they were experimenting in their groups with the manipulatives and the fraction pizza. BTS 10 2. Those students/groups will be asked to share some of the combinations that they found while using the fraction pizza. I will show these combinations on the overhead using a transparency of their worksheet. 3. We will also be discussing different possibilities that did not work with the pizza. 4. Finally, I will be asking the students if they have any additional questions about what they learned that day. 5. The students will be asked to write a few sentences describing what they learned and how they use fractions. They may also draw pictures if they wish. BTS 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 6. The students will also be completing an affective assessment at the completion of the fractions unit.
 * __INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES/TASKS:__**
 * A. Introduction:**
 * B. Lesson Development:**
 * C. Closure:**


 * Kelly: This is an excellent closure activity - good review combined with a check for understanding (Dr. Adamy - 4/22)**

-- I will be asking the students questions during all 3 portions of the lesson. This will give me a general idea of how well each student understands the concepts of fractions. I will be using the checklist as a reference while they are doing their group work. The students will not have prior knowledge of the checklist as I would like to see how they interact on their own, without my prompting them to behave. I will be using the checklist to create a performance assessment. BTS 9 -- The students will be completing a worksheet while they are in groups. The worksheet will be graded numerically based on whether or not the student’s answers were right or wrong. Also, the students will be taking a short multiple choice test. The test will be using the same "fraction pizzas" that they are familiar with. It will be scored 1-10 out of 10. BTS 9
 * __ASSESSMENT:__**
 * //A. Informal//**
 * //B. Formal//**


 * Kelly: Please include the worksheet and test. I need those to determine whether or not the objective is being adequately assessed. (Dr. Adamy - 4/22)**

-- This lesson will be taught with the students experimenting with materials in a hands-on manor. This will help those students that are visual learners. For those students that need specific instructions, they will be accommodated through my questioning and through assistance from their groups. Working collaboratively, the students will be able to practice their group work skills and also learn from one another. There will be plenty of time allowed for the experimenting to take place and any group that does not complete the task will not be penalized as long as they were working well together and trying their best. The writing assignment at the conclusion of the lesson can be modified for those students who need it. If any group finishes early, then I will ask them to please complete try thebonus activity using eighths. BTS 4, 6
 * __LEARNER FACTORS:__**

1. The students will be in their seats for the opening and closing of the lesson. During the activity portion, the students will be sitting on the floor, as the desks in the classroom are not arranged in a way that is conducive for group work. 2. The students will be working in groups of 4-5 but they will be doing the final assessment on their own. 3. I will be reminding them of the safety precautions that need to be taken. (i.e.: do not put the materials in your mouth)
 * __ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:__**

1. How effective was the lesson plan? 2. Was the pace of the lesson appropriate? 3. Did you call on a number of different students and not just the same ones? 4. Did you implement effective classroom management strategies (e.g., use of proximity, positive reinforcement)? 5. Did you support students who needed it in order to help them to be successful (e.g. providing extra wait time when asking a question, rephrasing or asking a question at their ability level)? 6. Were all students actively involved in the learning process? 7. How well did you facilitate this? 8. Were you able to maintain student interest throughout the lesson? 9. Were the materials of interest to the students? 10. What was effective about your teaching? 11. What would you change the next time you used this plan? 12. What areas of teaching do you feel need work? 13. Did the students meet the objections? That is, what did the students learn?
 * __REFLECTION:__**

EDC 452 Homepage Kelly's Homepage Learning Goals