Day 47: Fraction Introduction

6th Grade Math Standards: 3.NF.3 Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. a. Understand two fractions as equivalent (equal) if they are the same size, or the same point on a number line. b. Recognize and generate simple equivalent fractions, e.g., 1/2 = 2/4, 4/6 = 2/3. Explain why the fractions are equivalent, e.g., by using a visual fraction model. c. Express whole numbers as fractions, and recognize fractions that are equivalent to whole numbers. Examples: Express 3 in the form 3 = 3/1; recognize that 6/1 = 6; locate 4/4 and 1 at the same point of a number line diagram. d. Compare two fractions with the same numerator or the same denominator by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model

Objective: Convert improper and mixed fractions

Agenda:

1. Self Assessment checklist from the test
2. Review the Ratio Test
3. QSSQ 
4. Fraction Notes
5. Hershey Bar
6. Adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators

Assessment: I tried to flip the classroom the day before this lesson by having students complete a Google Form after watching my video. About half of my students completed it.

Glass Half-Full: We defined the different types of fractions and what exactly a fraction is. Getting these core pieces is critical to making estimates and checking the work in future lessons with the four operations.

Regrets: This was a very easy lesson to create a pre-assessment for and I essentially did it with the Google Drive, but then I never bothered to differentiate the lesson. As the standards indicate above, this is a third grade skill. That being said 35% of students did not know how to convert between mixed and improper fractions, so it was worth the time to review for that crew, but the rest of the class could have been held to higher standards or given a harder task than the notes which they really already master.

Link: I follow Eric Sheninger on Twitter and I came across a nice Tweet from something he wrote back in August about a solution to negative people. Don't complain and if you do complain present two solutions to solve your problem or issue. He stole it from Jon Gordon's book No Complaining Rule. It's on my short list of must reads as I've also read The Energy Bus and Training Camp by the same author and gotten things out of those books.