Lesson plan

8. Understand more about equivalent fractions (C)

  • Created by:
  • Standards:
  • Tags:
teaches Common Core State Standards CCSS.Math.Content.3.NF.A.3a http://corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/NF/A/3/a
teaches Common Core State Standards CCSS.Math.Content.3.NF.A.3b http://corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/NF/A/3/b
teaches Common Core State Standards CCSS.Math.Content.3.NF.A.3c http://corestandards.org/Math/Content/3/NF/A/3/c
teaches Common Core State Standards CCSS.Math.Practice.MP4 http://corestandards.org/Math/Practice/MP4
teaches Common Core State Standards CCSS.Math.Practice.MP6 http://corestandards.org/Math/Practice/MP6
Quick assign
Preview assignment >

You have saved this lesson plan!

Here's where you can access your saved items.

Dismiss
Content placeholder
  1. Begin lesson Begin assignment

Tip: swipe on touch devices, use your keyboard's ← and → arrow keys, or clicker buttons to quickly navigate the lesson plan

or to view additional materials

You'll gain access to interventions, extensions, task implementation guides, and more for this lesson plan.

Lesson objective: Understand that we can name numbers, including fractions, in an infinite number of ways.

Students bring prior knowledge of partitioning area models to create equivalent fractions 3.NF.A.3. This prior knowledge is extended to creating many equivalent fractions for the same number as students repeatedly partition the model. A conceptual challenge students may encounter is understanding that the model may be partitioned to infinity to generate an infinite number of equivalent fractions.

The concept is developed through work with a tape diagram, which illustrates the repeated partitioning of the figure.

This work helps students deepen their understanding of equivalence because they demonstrate that partitioning a model many times does not change its size. 

Students engage in Mathematical Practice 4 (model with mathematics) as they represent fractions using the area model and numbers. They model equivalent fractions for one-half by folding the model and recording the fractions.

Key vocabulary:

  • equivalent
  • infinite
  • partition

Special materials needed:

  • rectangles for students to fold
Provide feedback