Lesson 1

Estimation Explorations with Fractions

Warm-up: Which One Doesn’t Belong: Fractions (10 minutes)

CCSS Standards


Addressing

Routines and Access


Instructional Routines


Narrative

This warm-up prompts students to compare four images. It gives students a reason to use language precisely. It gives the teacher an opportunity to hear how students use terminology and talk about characteristics of the items in comparison to one another. During the synthesis, ask students to explain the meaning of any terminology they use, such as parts, pieces, whole, shapes, triangle, quadrilateral, or halves.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “Pick one that doesn’t belong. Be ready to share why it doesn’t belong.”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 2–3 minutes: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.

Student Facing

Which one doesn’t belong?
 

Arectangle. partitioned into 2 equal parts
BTriangle. partitioned into 2 equal parts. 1 parts shaded.

CSquare. partitioned into 2 parts. smaller part shaded
D2 squares. Each partitioned into 2 equal parts. 1 part shaded.

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Activity Synthesis

  • “Let’s find at least one reason why each one doesn’t belong.”

Activity 1: Estimation Exploration: Diagram (15 minutes)

CCSS Standards


Addressing

Routines and Access


Access for English Learners

  • MLR2

Narrative

The purpose of an Estimation Exploration is to practice the skill of estimating a reasonable answer based on experience and known information. In this activity, students estimate what fraction of a square is shaded to revisit area diagrams.

MLR2 Collect and Display: Circulate, listen for and collect the language students use as they estimate the fraction of the square that is shaded. On a visible display, record words and phrases such as: area, partition, larger area, between one-half and three-fourths, and more than one-half. Invite students to borrow language from the display as needed, and update it throughout the lesson.
Advances: Conversing, Reading

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Record responses.

Student Facing

What fraction of the square is shaded?

Record an estimate that is:

too low about right too high
\(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\) \(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\) \(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\)

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Activity Synthesis

  • Consider asking:
    • “Is anyone’s estimate less than _____? Is anyone’s estimate greater than _____?”
    • “Based on this discussion does anyone want to revise their estimate?”
  • “If you wanted to find out exactly what fraction of the square is shaded, how would you go about doing that?” (Try to partition the square into equal parts and see how many of the parts are shaded.)
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.
  • Optional: Have students find the exact fraction shaded. (\(\frac{5}{8}\))

Activity 2: Estimation Exploration: Fraction Strip (10 minutes)

CCSS Standards


Addressing

Routines and Access


Access for Students with Disabilities

  • Engagement

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to use their experience with fraction strips and tape diagrams to estimate what fraction of a strip is shaded.

Engagement: Internalize Self-Regulation. Synthesis: Provide students an opportunity to self-assess and reflect on their own progress. For example, their progress with estimation exploration.
Supports accessibility for: Social-Emotional Functioning

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Record responses.

Student Facing

What fraction of the strip is shaded?

Record an estimate that is:

too low about right too high
\(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\) \(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\) \(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\)

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Activity Synthesis

  • “If you wanted to find out exactly what fraction of the strip is shaded, how would you go about doing that?” (See how many copies of the shaded part can fit into the whole strip. Partition the strip into fractions we know and see what fraction the end of the shaded part lines up with.)
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.
  • Optional: Have students find the exact fraction shaded. (\(\frac{1}{3}\))

Activity 3: Estimation Exploration: Number Line (10 minutes)

CCSS Standards


Addressing

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to use their experience locating and labeling fractions to estimate the location of the point on a number line.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Record responses.

Student Facing

What number does the point represent?

Record an estimate that is:

too low about right too high
\(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\) \(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\) \(\phantom{\hspace{2.2cm} \\ \hspace{2.2cm}}\)

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Activity Synthesis

  • “If you wanted to find out exactly what fraction is at that point on the number line, how would you go about doing that?” (Partition the number line into fractions we know and see what fraction the point lines up with.)
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses.
  • Optional: Have students find the exact location marked on the number line. (\(\frac{4}{3}\))

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

Display the number line from the last activity.

“Today we practiced our estimation skills with fractions shown in different ways. When you were estimating the location of this point on the number line, what were some things you knew right away?” (The fraction would be greater than 1 and less than 2. The numerator had to be larger than the denominator. I could write it as 1 and a fraction. It would be closer to 1 than 2.)

“What did you have to work a little harder to think about?” (What denominator to use in my estimate because no parts are marked on the number line. What fraction would be greater than 1 but less than \(1\frac{1}{2}\).)

Cool-down: Fraction Representations (5 minutes)

CCSS Standards


Addressing

Cool-Down

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.