Equivalent Fractions and Number Lines Lesson Plan

Date Taught: 03/28/2016

Topic: Equivalent Fractions and Number Lines
Standard: CCSS.3.NF.A.2 Understand a fraction as a number on the number
line; represent fractions on a number line diagram. Represent a fraction 1/b
on a number line diagram by defining the interval from 0 to 1 as the whole
and partitioning it into b equal parts.
CCSS.3.NF.A.3.b Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g.,
=2/2, 4/6=2/3). Explain why the fractions are equivalent.
CCSS.3.NF.A.3.c Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions
that are equivalent to whole numbers. Example: Express 3 in the form 3=3/3.
Objectives: The students will be able to demonstrate a fraction as a number
on the number line represented by 1/b and show that fractions like and 2/2
are equivalent.
Student-Friendly Objective: Today we are going to learn that fractions can
be represented on a number line and fractions that look like different sizes
like and 2/2 are actually the same size.
Assessment Plan: Observe the children during the fraction Pictionary game
as a whole group to see if they are understanding the concepts covered
during the lesson with fractions on a number line that their peers will guess,
and then the shape variations of the fraction that I call out.
Materials Needed: M&Ms, paper, marker, graham crackers
Key Vocabulary: Equivalent-when something is equal or the same size.
Number line-a way to represent parts of a whole by showing each part in
order from 0 to 1.
Anticipatory Set (Gain attention/motivation/recall prior knowledge):
3-5 minutes
1. Give each of the students 4 M&Ms
2. Ask them if they can take what they learned from the previous
lesson to show me what of the M&Ms would look like

3. Take a minute to review and talk about how we have shown that
taking out 1 of the M&Ms represents because it is 1 from the 4 of
them.
4. Tell them that they can eat that 1 M&M.
5. Then ask the students if they can do the same to show 2/3 with the
candy that is left.
6. Talk about the fraction they are showing.
7. Tell them they can eat 1 more M&M.
8. Finally ask them to show .
9. Discuss the fraction and give everyone 2 more M&Ms.
10. Ask them if they think 2/4 is the same as .
11. Tell them that is what we are going to be learning about today.
Instructional Inputs:
Explain to the students that it is expected that they stay seated and be
participating during the lesson
Inform them that if they eat any of the food items before I give them
directions to that they will not be able to complete the activity
properly, so they will just have to watch and draw it out instead
o Which is not fun!
Talk about what the word equal means, or what it means for something
to be the same size as something else.
Ask students if they have talked about equal numbers before? Ask for
examples?
Modeling:
Ask the students to look at the 4 M&Ms in front of them and try to think of
why is the same size as 2/4?
Show them that we can have fractions with different numbers and they
can still be the same size.
o Do this by scooting 2 M&Ms away from the the whole of 4 M&Ms.
o Take another 2 M&Ms and scoot 1 away from them.
o Explain that each time I am showing exactly half of the whole that
we have even though it is and 2/4.
Tell the students that when they have fractions of the same size they are
called equivalent fractions.

Explain that now we are going to discuss another key concept from
fractions it is representing them on a number line.
o Ask if any of the students know what a number line is?
o Give definition of a number line and draw one with numbers going
from 0 to 10.

o Then explain that when we work with fractions we are working up to

a whole which is 1 so 1 whole number, so we will go from 0 to 1
on our number lines.
Draw a long number line going from 0 to 1 that could fit each of the
graham cracker pieces.
o Lay each piece out and make a mark on the line at the end of each
piece.
o Ask if they remember what each part of the graham cracker
represented from the other day?
Remind them it is if they forgot
o Show that on the number line I have each of the parts laid out
until we get all the way up to 1.
This shows that they have each part to make up the whole
number of 1.
o Draw in on the number line at the end of 2 graham crackers and
explain that I was able to do that because it is exactly in the middle
or half of the number 1 that we have shown.

Guided Practice:
Give each of the students a piece of paper and have them draw a number
line going from 0 to 1.
o Ask them to divide the number line into 3 parts similar to the way
that I showed them to do it in 4 parts.
o Have the students write what each part represents (1/3, 1/3, 1/3)
o Explain that when we go in order of each of the parts we can count
each of the thirds that we have (1/3, 2/3, 3/3).
o Ask why it is that 3/3 falls on the same place as the 1 on the
number line.
o If they do not already understand, explain that 3/3 shows the whole
number because we have counted all of the thirds so it equals 1.
Draw a number line with 0 to 1 and divide it into 5 parts.
o Ask Andrew if he can explain which numbers I would put into my
number line?
o Ask Ava what it means when I go in order for all of my fifths and
get all the way up to 5/5?

Have the students go back to the idea of equivalent fractions by asking

them if they remember what the word equivalent means.
o Remind them that it means equal
Have the students use their M&Ms to show how is the same as 2/4.
Ask if they have any questions (look for body language that shows
confusion)

o Do the Shoe example with 6 shoes total and of their shoes

being 3/6 if they are still not understanding the M&M example.
Closure:

Tell the students that we are going to go over the things that we
learned today.
o Talk about what I did with the M&Ms and how I was able to
show 2 different fractions but see how they are the same
size.
o Talk about how a number line show the order of the
numbers and how we used 0 to 1 because 1 is a whole
number.
Discuss how 3/3 or 4/4 can equal 1 by reminding
them how those parts were at the end point where 1
was on the number line.

Independent practice/application:
Play Fraction Pictionary
o Have each student taking a turn drawing a fraction of their
choice in a shape on the board (or their paper if they do
not have access to the board)
o Have the other two classmates try to guess what the
fraction is within 10 seconds
o Have each student take a turn drawing a fraction of their
choice on a number line and having their classmates guess
it within 10 seconds.
o Have everyone sit down and call out different variations of
(2/4, 3/6, 4/8, 5/10) and have them draw each of them
with shapes on their paper to see who can do it the fastest.
Reflection:
Your specific insights into teaching as a result of your teaching
experience with this specific lesson plan. Include at least two things
that went well, supported by examples and/or reasoning and two
suggestions for improvement, supported by examples and/or
reasoning. Will complete after lesson