Plan for Instruction: Lesson Plan

Equal Parts of a Whole

Lesson Teacher: Teresa Gleason Date: 2/6/2017

Lesson Grade Level: 3rd grade Timeframe: 12:20 to 1:10 p.m.

Content Area: Mathematics Grouping Strategy: Whole Group and small groups

Preparing for Lesson Development

1. What does your pre-assessment observation indicate about your students needs and current
performance and educational needs? Students completed a pre-assessment for the fractions unit. The
specific skill being addressed in this lesson is understanding parts of a whole. Given a shape that has been
bisected or otherwise divided equally, nearly all students could identify shapes that possessed equal parts.
However, when asked to apply fraction terminology (i.e. fifths, thirds, etc.) to shapes divided equally, only
a portion of students could do so. This will be the focus of the lesson.

2. How will you design the lesson to meet the needs of all learners in your classroom? To make this
lesson concrete, students will be given slips of paper to fold. I will model this and take students through the
process step by step, using correct terminology along the way. During one portion of the lesson, students
will practice identifying whether shapes on graph paper have been divided equally. Learners who struggle
will be given images in which it more apparent that the shapes are divided equally (i.e. with straight lines
like the arrays already familiar to students). There is a group of students for whom this skill has already
been mastered. During independent practice, I will pull these students to have them look at shapes which
have been divided in unconventional ways. This will provide a greater challenge and extension for these
students.

Lesson Plan Development

Lesson Title: Equal Parts of a Whole

Common Core and/or State Standard:

The primary standard being addressed in this lesson is:

3.NF.1 Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts;
understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.

An additional standard being introduced and discussed is:

3.G.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For
example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part is 1/4 of the area of the
shape.

Note: Students will encounter this latter standard again in subsequent lessons pertaining to equal shares, unit
fractions of a whole, and other fractions of a whole.

An additional note about the place of standard 3.NF.1 within the flow of the standards:

In 2nd grade, standard 2.G.A.3 (Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares, describe the
shares using the words halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc., and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four
fourths. Recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape.) was addressed. Students
should have some familiarity with dividing shapes equally and labeling them. For students who have mastered this
concept, the portion of this lesson pertaining to this skill serves as a spiral review in preparation for more difficult
concepts. For students who have not mastered this skill, it is imperative that this basic understanding is achieved prior
to moving on to more difficult concepts.

In fourth grade, students will encounter standard 4.NF.1 (Explain why a fraction a/b is equivalent to a fraction (n
a)/(n b) by using visual fraction models, with attention to how the number and size of the parts differ even though
the two fractions themselves are the same size. Use this principle to recognize and generate equivalent fractions.
(Grade 4 expectations in this domain are limited to fractions with denominators 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 100.))
Attaining a clear understanding that it is the amount of space (area) taken up by single or combined partitioned areas
of a shape which determines whether the related fractions are equivalent will be essential to understanding this more
advanced skill.

Assessment of Learning: Informal assessment will occur

during independent practice, during which students will
determine the number of equal parts of shapes on graph paper
Lesson Objective: The students will be able to
and discuss the fraction terminology that pertains to a specific
correctly label a shape that has been divided into
number of equal parts.
equal parts with the fraction terminology
half/halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths with
Formal assessment will occur initially by the independent
90% accuracy.
completion of the Go Math worksheet on page 445 of the
student manual.

Assessment of Learning: Informal assessment will occur

during independent practice, during which students will
Lesson Objective: Given a shape drawn on graph
determine the number of equal parts of shapes on graph paper.
paper, the student will be able to partition the shape
into a given number of equal parts (i.e. 2, 3, 4, 6, or
Formal assessment will occur at the end of the lesson, via the
8) with 90% accuracy.
Go Math worksheet at the end of section 8.1 in the student
books. (p. 445)

Based on the lesson objectives, select an appropriate teaching model Madeline Hunter

Indian Education For All (IEFA) X No Yes. If yes, please describe

Classroom
Lesson Procedures/Activities Materials
Management Needs
Anticipatory Set Copy of words from Students at desks. Show
math vocabulary with the items on the
Review vocabulary that was pre-taught last week. Use the math definitions. projector so students
vocabulary cards from the student workbooks. can see.
Example items for the
As vocabulary is discussed, provide a concrete example along fraction terms, as
with an image or object related to the example. follows.

Terms to review: Fraction: fraction bars

1. Fraction: Read the definition from the set of vocabulary from previous math
cards. Show fraction bars with examples of fraction series.
notation. Tell students they will learn more about how
to write fractions in an upcoming lesson. Whole: 1 C measuring
cup.
 2. Whole: Fraction bar for one whole and a 1 C measuring Half/halves: 1/2 C
cup. measuring cup, picture
of half a tank of gas on
3. Half/halves: Fraction bar and picture of a gas gauge a gas gauge. Yard
showing a half-full gas tank. Give example of two stick.
halves in a football game (they are the same length of
time). Show a yard stick. Relate to a football team Thirds: Picture of a
getting a down. When the referee comes out to pizza cut into equal
measure the distance, you might hear them rule that it slices.
was a yard short of the down.
Fourths, fifths, sixths,
4. Thirds: 1/3 C measuring cup. Picture of a pizza cut into eighths: Ruler with
three equal slices. various fractions of an
inch marked. Hair
5. Fourths, fifths, sixths, eighths: Ruler. Mark a spot that clipper attachments.
is 1/4 of an inch. Note that the inch can be divided into
equal parts and labeled. Talk about haircuts with
clippers (show examples of the attachments that show
how long the hair will be after being cut).

Teacher Input Plain paper for Same as above

students and teacher.
Draw two circles on the board of equal size: one divided evenly
and one unevenly. Elicit student input on whether the circles
have equal parts. Ask: How can you tell the parts are equal?

Try a circle divided from a central point. Asks students how

many equal parts are present?

Give students plain paper. Instruct them to follow you lead as

you do the following:

Fold the paper in half horizontally. Open it back up. Ask: How
many parts did we divide this paper into? Are the parts equal?
How do you know? (Demonstrate that if you fold the paper back
up that each part exactly covers the other part).

Say: When you divide something into two equal parts, each part
is called a half. Two equal parts is called halves.

Check for Understanding n/a Students should follow

along independently.
Ask students what one part is called when something is divided Monitor for on task
into two equal parts. (one half) What are two equal parts called behavior and provide
(2 halves). support, as needed.

Continue this procedure for fourths and eighths.

Guided Practice Graph paper with Place graph paper on
shapes and fraction overhead so students
Show students graph paper in which shapes have been partitions pre-drawn. can see.
partitioned either evenly or unevenly. Ask students to count the Blank graph paper on
number of square within each partitioned area. Are they equal in which students may
size? Point out that the partitioned area may be different shapes, practice subdividing
but still have the same area. shapes.

Show two squares that have been both been divided with 3
rectangles. One will have equal parts and one wont. Elicit
student responses about why the unequally divided square does
not represent thirds. (Student responses should indicate an
understanding that the size of the partitioned areas is not equal).
Independent Practice Graph paper that has Students are at their
various shapes pre- desks. Instruct students
Students will use graph paper to create shapes divided into a written without to wait for directions.
designated number of equal parts. partitions. They are not to fold or
touch the graph paper
Note: Adjust the number of equal parts being created per until instructed.
student ability. Advanced students may want to try a larger
number of equal parts or using irregular shapes of the same
number of units to show equal parts (see teachers manual for an
example). Support struggling students by walking through one
example with halves or thirds. Observe their first attempts
carefully and correct any misconceptions.
Pass out graph paper.

On the overhead, draw a square that is 4 units X 4 units. Prompt

students to do the same.

Ask students to think about how the shape could be divided into
equal parts. Tell students to make a copy of the square try
dividing it into halves and fourths

Instruct students to look at the example shapes on the graph

paper provided. They are to identify the write the correct term
that goes with the equal parts. Tell students to be careful to spell
the terms correctly. For example, using threes instead of thirds
would be incorrect. Watch out for the word eighths, which can
be tricky. Tell students to write the word eight and then as
hs to the end to make the correct term.

Pull advanced students and complete the Advanced Lesson

portion of the lesson page 444 in the teachers manual. This
involves using diagonal lines to divide the shapes evenly on
graph paper.

Closure Slips of paper with Students remain at their

possible chant desks. Only students
Time permitting, students may share the shapes they created tapped to lead the chant
with partitions. (Possibly pair share). may stand.

Review main concept of the lesson as follows:

Do this chant: I say fractions, you say Equal Parts. Call:

Fractions. Student reply: Equal parts.

Say: Ill call the number of equal parts; you call the name of
those parts. For example, if I say two equal parts, you say
halves. If I say four equal parts, you say fourths..

Do a few rounds of the chant.

Possible variation. Have one or two students stand up at their

desks and lead the chant. (Give them a slip of paper with the
words they need to say and the correct response.)
Evidence of Lesson Effectiveness/Student Learning: Please see following section: Evidence of Student
Learning.

Reflection and Recommendations for Next Time: Please see the following sections Insights on Effective
Instruction, Insights on Effective Assessment, and Implications for Future Teaching.

Attached Contextual Factors, pre- and post-assessment raw data, data analysis and reflection