Slice it Up! (Part Two)
Students will be able to identify halves and fourths within whole shapes. Students will be able to create different variations of halves and fourths using the same shape. Students will be able to recognize shapes which are divided equally into fractions.
Introduction (5 minutes)
- Take out the watermelon manipulatives, and review the concepts of the different names for the fractional pieces represented.
- Have the students take out their circle fraction manipulatives from the previous lesson.
- As you show the pieces of watermelon, ask the students to hold up their corresponding shape that matches, naming the corresponding equal share (fractional part). Continue with fourths and eighths.
- Have the students put their circle fractional manipulatives away.
- Tell the students that they are going to be slicing the same shape in different ways to create similar fractions. Emphasize that the parts of a shape must be equal.
- Show the students “non-examples” of watermelon shapes that do not represent equal parts. Explain that fractional parts must match all of the other shapes inside the whole.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling (10 minutes)
- Tell the students that you are going to show them some different ways to use the same shape but create different "equal shares" within the shape. Emphasize that the pieces inside the shape must be equal.
- Use either the SMART Board lesson or the posters to demonstrate how a rectangle could be divided into halves or fourths in different ways, while still creating equal shares inside the whole shapes.
Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling (10 minutes)
- Ask the students to take out their squares from the previous lesson. Give each student an extra set of squares.
- Ask the students to pick up the square that is already divided in half.
- Ask the students to take two of the blank squares and fold each square in a different way so that each square shows two halves.
- Have the students color each fraction of each square and label each part ½.
Independent Working Time (10 minutes)
- Ask the students to take out the square that shows fourths.
- Tell the students that fourths can also be called “quarters.”
- Tell the students that they will be working on the last two squares, creating fourths that are different from the first fourth they created.
- After students have finished dividing each square into different forms of fourths, have the students color and label each equal share.
- Once the students are completely finished, have them create a poster that shows halves and fourths.
- Enrichment: Have students create different forms of eighths, and include these on the poster. Utilize any of the Mission Fractions worksheets to challenge your students.
- Support: Support students by prefolding squares for students. Have your students draw lines on the folds and color equal shares. Provide students with related words or fractions to glue on the poster.
- In place of a tangible poster, have students create their fraction poster through a Google Presentation or Google Drawing.
Assessment (5 minutes)
- Give your students the Shape Fractions Halves and Shape Fractions Quarters worksheets to complete.
Review and Closing (10 minutes)
- Ask the students to describe differences and similarities between the different ways they divided shapes into equal shares.
- Ask students what shapes they see inside the whole shapes.
- Invite students to share the posters they created with the rest of the class.