Lesson 14

The purpose of this lesson is for students to compare fractions to solve problems in and out of context.

In the previous lesson, students wrote equivalent fractions to help them compare pairs of fractions with different denominators. Here, they include this newly developed strategy in their toolkit for comparing fractions. 

In the first activity, students compare sets of fractions with like and unlike denominators. They do so by using benchmarks, writing equivalent fractions, or reasoning about the numerators and denominators. In the second activity, students interpret and solve problems involving fractional measurements in context. Both activities present a new setup, structure, or context, requiring students to make sense of the given information and the problems, and to persevere in solving them (MP1).

• Each group of 3–4 needs tools for creating a visual display during the lesson synthesis.

Were there students with unique approaches who didn’t get air time? If so, what might be some possible reasons? How can their thinking be made visible in upcoming lessons?