Unit 3

Introduction

Mathematical Background
Concepts
Unit 3 takes an applied and visual approach to fractions and decimals. Over the course of 20
sessions, students make extensive use of concrete manipulatives and visual models to explore
unit fractions, common fractions, mixed numbers, improper fractions, equivalent fractions, and
decimals. They come to understand that two fractions with unlike numerators and denominators, such as 46 and 812, can be equal, and they develop methods for generating and recognizing
equivalent fractions. Students also investigate the relationship between unit fractions, such as ,
, and 112 and common fractions, such as , , and 612. They come to understand that common
fractions are composed of unit fractions, which makes for an easy transition to multiplying fractions by whole numbers. (When one understands that = + + , its not hard to see that
is also equal to 3 x .)
Students work with fractions extends into decimals, where the use of base ten pieceswith the
mat now assigned a value of 1makes the equivalence of tenths and hundredths readily apparent.

Students Thats 1 and four-tenths. You can write that as a mixed

number1 410or a decimal number, 1.4.
You could also say that its 1 and forty-hundredths because each of the
tiny squares is one-hundredth of the mat, and each of the strips has 10
tiny squares in it. That would be 1 40100 or 1.40 if you wrote it down.
Or, if you wanted, you could say that the whole thing is 140 hundredths100 in the mat and 40 more in the strips. If you wrote that
down with a fraction, it would be 140100.
Understanding the relationship between tenths and hundredths makes it possible for fourth
graders to add such fractions by rewriting the tenths as hundredths and then combining them,
which in turn lays the foundations for adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators in fifth grade.
The specific concepts addressed in this unit include the following:
Equivalent fractions can be created by dividing a model into various parts, or multiplying
both the numerator and denominator by the same number.

1
3

2
6

4
12

Students Four eggs fill one-third of an egg carton.

You can also say they fill two-sixths of the carton if you divide the
carton into smaller parts.
And if you divide the carton into the smallest parts you can, four eggs
fill four-twelfths of the carton.
Whats really cool is the pattern in the numbers. Both the numerator
and the denominator double each time.
Fractions with unlike numerators can be compared by finding common denominators, although
at this grade level, much of the work focuses on visual fraction models rather than algorithms.
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Introduction

Unit 3

1
2
1
4
1
8

1
4
1
8

1
8

1
8

1
8

Student I can use the pieces to show that is greater than 24. I kind of
already knew that, though, because I know that 24 and 48 are both the
same as a half, so has to be bigger than 24.
Comparisons of fractions or decimals are valid only when the two fractions or the two
decimals refer to the same whole. Half a mini pizza is probably not greater than one-fourth of
a giant pizza. Likewise, 510 of an apple is probably less than 25100 of a watermelon.
A fraction with a numerator of 1, such as 16, is called a unit fraction. A common fraction, or
a fraction with a numerator greater than 1, such as 46, is the sum of unit fractions with the
same denominator: 16 + 16 + 16 + 16, or 4 x 16.
Fractions can be decomposed into a sum of fractions with the same denominator in more
than one way. For example, 46 also equals 26 + 26 and 36 + 16.
Multiplying a fraction by a whole number involves repeated addition. For example 3 x 16 = 16 +
16 + 16, or 36. By extension, 4 x = + + + , or 83, which can also be expressed as 2 .
Fractions with denominator 10 can be expressed as equivalent fractions with denominator
100. This technique can be used to add tenths and hundreds: 210 + 34100 = 20100 + 34100 = 54100.
Fractions with denominator 10 or 100 can be written in decimal notation. For example, 410
can be written as 0.4, and 76100 can be written as 0.76.

Models
Students use a variety of manipulatives and visuals to model, read, write, compare, compose,
and decompose fractions and decimals, including paper strips, egg cartons, geoboards, number
lines, and base ten pieces.
Folded Paper Strips
Early in the unit, students fold, and then cut and label 1 " 12" construction paper strips of
different colors to form various fractions. These simple fraction kits make it easy for students
to find many relationships among halves, fourths, eighths, and sixteenths, as well as recognize
and generate equivalent fractions.

Equivalent Fractions
1 + 1 = 2 = 1
2
2
2

1
1
2
1
4

1
2
1
4

1
4

1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4 = 1
4
4
4
4
4
1
8
8 =
=1
8
8

1
4

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

16 1 = 16 = 1
16

16

1= 1 + 1 = 2
2 4
4
4
1 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4
2 8 8 8 8 8
1= 1 + 1 = 2
4 8
8
8
1 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4
4 16 16 16 16 16
3 = 1 + 1 + 1 = 1+ 1
4 4 4 4 2 4

The paper strips also provide an effective tool for modeling and understanding mixed numbers
and improper fractions, introduced for the first time at this grade level.

1
1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

1
4

Student I can use the strips to make 1 , but if you split the whole
strip into fourths, you can see that its 74 in all.

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Introduction

Unit 3

Egg Carton Fractions

Students continue the work with the egg carton model they began in third grade. The egg carton
model involves a 12-egg carton. While most visual or physical models of fractions specifically
portray them as either parts of a whole or parts of a set, the egg carton simultaneously models
fractions both ways. Eight eggs set into a carton of 12 can be viewed as of a whole (the whole
being the entire egg carton) or 8 out of a set of 12 eggs.

However, if pieces of yarn or string are used to divide the carton, those 8 eggs can be seen to fill , 46,
or 812 of the carton, depending on the number of parts into which the carton has been divided.

8 eggs fills 23 of the carton

8 eggs fill 46 of the carton

8 eggs fill 812 of the carton

Geoboard Fractions
Students also investigate fractions on the geoboard and make observations about a wide variety
of fractional relationships. Much like the egg carton model, the geoboard can be used to characterize fractions as parts of a whole or parts of a set. The entire board is assigned a value of 1,
but there are 16 smaller squares within the larger whole. This makes the geoboard an especially
effective tool for recognizing and generating equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, composing and decomposing fractions, and multiplying fractions by whole numbers.

Region A
!

1
2

of a large square

8 out of 16 little
squares, or 168
8
16

+ 168 =

2 168 =

16
16

=1

16
16

=1

Region B
!

1
4

of a large square

4 out of 16 little
squares, or 164
1
16

+ 161 + 161 + 161 = 164

4 161 =

Region C
1
8

of a large square

2 out of 16 little
squares, or 162

1
16

+ 161 = 162

2 161 =

2
16

4
16

region B equals 8 Es
1
1
4 = 8 32

region C is half of B
1
1
2
1
8 + 8 = 8 = 4

region C is twice D
1
1
4 = 2 8

Region D

region A equals 4 Cs
1
1
1
1
1
4
2 = 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 8

B
D E

1
32

of a large square

1
2

1 out of 16 little
squares

of one of the
little squares

region B equals 4 Ds
+ 161 + 161 +161 = 164 = 14

1
32

1
16

region C equals 2 Ds
+ 161 = 162 = 18

4 Es makes 1 C
+ 321 + 321 + 321 = 324 = 18
32 321 =1

1
16

Region E

of a large square

!
!

1
16

16 161 = 1

If the whole geoboard has an area of 1, what fraction of the

board does each region show, and how do those regions
relate to one another?

The Number Line

Students use a number line model to compare and order fractions and decimals. By reasoning about the relationships, students place fractions and decimals on a class number line. For
example, to place on the number line, students reason that is less than 88 = 1. Given the
position of , which is already placed on the number line, students find the position of . Then
they can find as to the left of 1.

1
8

1
4

0.50

7
8

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Introduction

Unit 3

Base Ten Area Pieces

The base ten pieces, used extensively for modeling and computing with whole numbers, are also
a very effective tool for modeling and comparing decimal fractions and numbers when the mat
is assigned a value of 1.

one
1
1.00
mat

tenth

hundredth

1
10

1
100

0.10
strip

0.01
unit

Strategies
Students find equivalent fractions by reasoning proportionally. Very early in Unit 3, they find
equivalent ratios in fair-sharing situations: sharing 3 fruit strips among 4 friends ( of a strip
per friend), $3.00 among 4 students ($0.75 per student), and 3 practice hours among 4 sports
teams ( of an hour per team). Much later in the unit, students also produce equivalent ratios
when finding the number of candy bars the teacher will need to purchase for the class picnic if
each fourth grader is to get of a bar.

Number of Candy Bars

12

Number of Students

12

16

Students also find equivalent fractions by changing the number of divisions on the egg-carton
model, the geoboard, and the base ten mat. As students consider different-sized sections in
each model, they are able to express the same amount in different but equivalent fractions. For
example, of an egg carton is equivalent to 4 eggs out of 12 eggs and also 2 (two-egg sections)
out of 6 (two-egg sections): = 26 = 412. Students begin to generalize that if they divide the
pieces in half, they need to double the number of pieces for the fractions to be equivalent.

1
3

2
6

4
12

The work in this unit builds on the idea that a common fraction is a multiple of a unit fraction, a/b = a 1/b. This happens as students add unit fractions and find that, for example, +
+ = 3 = . Also, as students generalize a strategy for the teacher to know how many
candy bars she should bring for n students, they reason about multiplying a fraction by a whole
number: for 4 students she needs 4 of a candy bar, which is 3 candy bars, so for n students
she needs n candy bars.

Algebra Connections in This Unit

Students will see that fractions with larger denominators represent quantities being divided into
more (and smaller) pieces, while fractions with smaller denominators represent quantities being
divided into fewer (and larger) pieces. The fact that is greater than 116, even though 3 is much
less than 16, is a difficult concept and continues to confuse students in later years if time isnt
taken earlier to develop firm understandings of fractions.

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