Fabulous Fractions

unit objectives

Students will be able to …
- recognize the idea that the whole is made of several parts.
- recognize fractions in everyday life.
- Interpret a chart to create fractions.
- express which fractions are equivalent to each other.
- explain why the fractions are equivalent.
- compare decimal values to find equivalences.
- compare fractions by determining if the fractions are ‘less than,’
‘greater than,’ or ‘equal to.’
- explain why a fraction is larger/smaller than another fraction.
- manipulate fraction bars to add and subtract fractions with
common and unlike denominators.
- add and subtract fractions with common and unlike denominators
without using manipulatives.

unit materials

Fun size bags of skittles
Mathematics journals
Fraction Bars
Overhead Fraction Bars
TI – 73 graphing calculator
Index cards
Markers
Rainbow fraction circles
Worksheet ->‘My Fraction Cards’
Teacher calculator with connection cords for the overhead projection tool
Fraction Circles worksheet
Fraction Strips
‘I Have, Who Has?’ Cards
Transparent fraction bars for the overhead
Subtracting / Adding fractions worksheet
Overhead markers
Overhead

Standards Addressed

New York State Standards Addressed

Process Strand		Content Strand
-> 6.PS.3	-> 6.CM.4		-> 6.N.16
-> 6.PS.13	-> 6.CM.6
-> 6.PS.14	-> 6.CN.4
-> 6.PS.21	-> 6.CN.6
-> 6.RP.1	-> 6.R.1
-> 6.RP.2	-> 6.R.2

NCTM Standards Addressed

Topic -> Number and Operations

Instructional Program Descriptor -> Understand numbers, ways of
representing numbers, relationships
among numbers, and number systems.
Instructional Program Descriptor -> Understand meanings of operations
and how they relate to one another.

Resource

Textbook
Publisher -> Pearson Prentice Hall
Title -> Bits and Pieces I
Authors -> Glenda Lappan, James T. Fey, William M. Fitsgerald, Susan N. Friel,
and
Elizabeth Difanis Phillips
Copyright -> 2006

unit overview

Day 1 -> Introduction to Fractions
Students will be introduced to fractions as they are used in everyday life.
They will be using skittles to create fractions once they place the information
into a chart.

Mini Lesson -> ‘I Have, Who Has’ Cards
This is a mini activity that you can do with the students to help them
become familiar with fractions, which part of the fraction is the numerator
and denominator. Ultimately you could use this anywhere in the unit as a time
filler.

Day 2 -> Exploring Equivalent Fractions
The students will use fraction bars to help them figure out equivalent
fractions. They will be able to find two or more equivalent fractions.

Day 3 -> Reducing / Simplifying Fractions
The students will be using fraction circles and index cards to assist them
in reducing and simplifying fractions.

Day 4 -> Comparing Fractions
Students will use fraction circles, fraction strips, and calculators to assist
them in figuring out if a fraction is less than, greater than, or equal to another
fraction.

Day 5 -> Adding / Subtracting Fractions
Students will use fraction bars to help assist them in solving addition and
subtraction of fractions with like and unlike denominators. The students
will also learn how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.

Day 1

Lesson

Introduction to Fractions

Objectives
Students will be introduced to fractions.
Students will be able to relate fractions to everyday use in the world.
Students will be able to interpret information using a chart.

Standards
Strand -> Number Sense and Operations
Standard -> Students will understand meanings of operations and procedures, and
how they relate to one another.

Materials
Fun size bags of skittles
Worksheet
Overhead transparency of their worksheet
Overhead markers
Mathematics journals
Pen or pencil

Opening Activity
Ask the class if they can give you any examples of fractions. Ask them to think
about fractions from everyday life. If they can not give you any examples, suggest
apple pie. Have them think about slicing the pie up in pieces. Draw a big circle on
the board imitating a pie.

Ask the following questions pertaining to the pie drawing on the board:
There are 16 slices in the pie and Charlie ate 5 of them. What fraction of the pie is
left for his brother to eat?
Out of the remaining slices left for Charlie’s brother, the dog at 3 of them, what
fractional representation did the dog eat of the remaining apple pie?

Depending on their level of understanding, move on with the lesson or make up
some more review problems.

Main Activity
Hand out one bag of fun size skittles packets to each student. Tell each student to
open their packages and separate each bag of skittles into colors. Once they have
done this, have each student write their results for each color in the chart handed
out to them (it is shown below). Fill in the chart on the overhead with the totals of
each students colors. Ask for one of the students data and fill in the chart on the
overhead.

Color of Skittle	Number of Skittles	Fractional Representation of Whole
Red
Orange
Yellow
Purple
Green
TOTAL

Once the students have filled in their chart, have them complete the worksheet
with the data they have recorded in their charts.

Have the students tell you the total number of skittles in each of their packages.
Write down the total number of skittles each student tells you they have in their
packages. Have them add up the total number of skittles in the entire class. Tell
them they will need this number in order to leave the class today.

Closing Activity
In order to leave to class today, you have to give me an ‘exit card’. Have the
students take out a half sheet of paper. On that sheet of paper they have to write
their total number of skittles in their packages to the total number of skittles in the
entire class in fractional form.

Homework
Have the students write in their mathematics journals, three uses of fractions they
use in everyday life.

Introduction to Fractions

Directions -> Complete the following chart by using the fun size skittles packages. Once the
chart is completed, use the data and complete the questions

Color of Skittle	Number of Skittles	Fractional Representation of Color Out of the Whole
Red
Orange
Yellow
Purple
Green
TOTAL

Answer the following questions using the data from the above chart.
1. What is the total number of skittles? ______________________________________________
2. Out of all the skittles in your bag, how many of them are red? Write this number in a fractional
form. _________________________
3. Out of all the skittles in your bag, how many of them are purple? Write this number in a
fractional form. _________________________
4. Out of all the skittles in your bag, how many of them are green? Write this number in a
fractional
form. _____________________________
ANSWER KEY

Introduction to Fractions

Directions -> Complete the following chart by using the fun size skittles packages. Once the
chart is completed, use the data and complete the questions

The data in the charts will vary upon the students individual packages of skittles.

Color of Skittle	Number of Skittles	Fractional Representation of Color Out of the Whole
Red
Orange
Yellow
Purple
Green
TOTAL

Answer the following questions using the data from the above chart.
1. What is the total number of skittles? ______________________________________________
2. Out of all the skittles in your bag, how many of them are red? Write this number in a fractional
form. _________________________
3. Out of all the skittles in your bag, how many of them are purple? Write this number in a
fractional form. _________________________
4. Out of all the skittles in your bag, how many of them are green? Write this number in a
fractional form. _____________________________
The answers to the questions will vary due the different packages of skittles.

Mini Lesson

‘I Have, Who Has?’ Cards

You could use the below set of cards to help the students become familiar with
the identification of fractions, which part is the numerator, and which part is the
denominator. You could use this mini lesson anywhere throughout the unit, a good
thing to keep handy especially if you have a little extra time during one of the
lessons.