Heather Dies

Jaime Scott

Lesson Information: This lesson deals with sorting animals into different categories. Out of those categories, they will be dividing their animals into subcategories and putting that number as a fraction.

Title: Animal Fractions

Student Level: Grades 3rd-4th

Goal: Mathà Process: Reasoning

Product: Number Sense

Scienceà Process: Classifying

Product: Animals

Prerequisite Skills and Concepts: Students need to understand what is meant by 'shades' of a certain color. Students need a basic understanding of land, air, and water animals.

Lesson Activities:

EXPLORATION PHASE

Objectives: The students will participate in a class activity where they learn the parts of a fraction.

Materials: Students in the class, chalkboard, overhead projector, overhead worksheet

Introduction to lesson: Bring six students up to the front of the classroom and ask how many are boys/girls, have certain colored clothing on (ex. red shirts), hair color, etc.

Procedure:

1. Bring students up to the front of the classroom and ask examples from above.
2. Write the answers from examples on board in fraction form.
3. Discuss the numerator and denominator with the students. Make sure to explain which number goes on top and which one goes on bottom.
4. Explain the process of simplifying fractions to the students.
5. Do some examples of simplifying with students on the overhead.

Evaluation:

Ask students review questions involving the positions of the numerator and denominator in a fraction. Have students work some examples in class.

INVENTION PHASE

Objectives: In their groups, the students will break down the total number of crayons into at least four different groups while recording the results in fraction form on a worksheet.

Materials: Crayons, worksheet

Procedure:

1. Discuss the shades of colors with students. Give some examples.
2. Hand out a bag of crayons to each group.
3. Hand out the worksheet to go with the activity.
4. Explain to the students that they will be sorting their crayons according to colors.
5. Explain the worksheet to the students.
6. Once they have the crayons sorted allow students time to complete the worksheet.
7. Have a couple of groups explain their answers.

EXPANSION PHASE