EDMA310/360 Mathematics unit planner

Rachel Van Rossen

Unit Overview
Unit title: Decimal fractions
Content maths area: Decimal fractions
Grade/year level: Grade 4
Learning Focus (ideas extrapolated from AusVELS):
Content strand: Number and Algebra
Sub-strand: Fractions and decimals
Proficiency strands:
Investigate equivalent fractions used in contexts (ACMNA077)
Count by quarters halves and thirds, including with mixed numerals. Locate and
represent these fractions on a number line (ACMNA078)
Students will be focusing on investigating equivalent fractions and fractions with
different numerators.
Rationale:
Learning about decimal fractions and building student understanding about equivalent
fractions and how fractions are larger or smaller than others is an important skill. This
content provides a framework for future fractions and decimals learning, such as grade
6 learning of making connections between equivalent fractions, decimals and
percentages (VCAA, 2012). Ensuring students have a firm understanding of fractions,
and learn strategies such as benchmarking and residual thinking, and avoid
misconceptions such as gap thinking is important, as it will ensure students gain a deep
understanding of fractions (Clarke and Roche, 2009).
Assumed prior knowledge of students:
Students have learnt about quarters, halves, thirds, fifths and eighths separately in
previous years. In grade four they have already learnt about decimals, and have
extended their previous knowledge of decimals to tenths and hundredths.
Grouping strategies to support learning:
Students will be in mixed ability groups for the majority of the learning experiences (with
the exception of the summative assessment at the end of the unit). By doing this I allow
students to learn from each other, and also prevent learning labels (the weak group).
Van de Walle, Karp and Williams (2014) state that this learning style can be extremely
effective. Furthermore I constantly change the groups (pairs, groups of 3 or 4) in order
to ensure students are not always grouped with friends or weak or strong students, and
maximise learning abilities. Group collaboration is stated by Van de Walle et al. (2014)
to increase confidence, engagement and understanding (p. 41), which is a learning
style I am working to maximise in this unit of work.

Overview of assessment:
Assessment in this unit of work will be predominantly anecdotal evidence about the
learning abilities, preferred strategies and new understandings students have learnt. I
also utilise videos and photos of student work and understanding to see new
understandings. At the end of the unit I will be collecting an individual piece of work
(number lines) to see the progress and understandings students have learnt over the
course of the unit.

References:
Clarke, D., & Roche, A. (2009). Students fraction comparison strategies as a window
into robust understanding and possible pointers for instruction. Educational Studies in
Mathematics, 72(1), 127-138. doi:10.1007/s10649-009-9198-9
Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2014). Elementary and middle
school mathematics: Teaching developmentally (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Victoria Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) (2012). Mathematics scope and
sequence (F-10). Retrieved from http://australiancurriculum.edu.au/australian
%20curriculum.pdf?Type=0&s=M&e=ScopeAndSequence