Lesson 7

Equivalent Fractions

Warm-up: True or False: Equivalence (10 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this warm-up is to elicit students’ prior understanding of equivalence and strategies for comparing fractions. To determine equivalence, students may rely on familiarity with benchmark fractions, use fraction strips, or think about the relative sizes of the fractional parts. They may also use their knowledge about fractions with the same numerator or denominator. In any case, students have opportunities to look for and make use of structure (MP7).

Launch

  • Display one statement.
  • “Give me a signal when you know whether the statement is true and can explain how you know.”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time

Activity

  • Share and record answers and strategy.
  • Repeat with each statement.

Student Facing

Decide if each statement is true or false. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

  • \(\frac{4}{8}=\frac{7}{8}\)
  • \(\frac{3}{4}=\frac{6}{8}\)
  • \(\frac{2}{6}=\frac{2}{8}\)
  • \(\frac{6}{3}=\frac{4}{2}\)

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Activity Synthesis

  • If no students refer to a visual representation (a tape diagram or number line) to explain an equation such as \(\frac{3}{4}=\frac{6}{8}\), ask how one of these representations could help with their explanation. 
  • “For the pair of fractions that you know are not equal, can you tell which fraction is greater? How?”

Activity 1: Two or More Fractions (20 minutes)

Narrative

The purpose of this activity is to elicit strategies for finding equivalent fractions when the fractions are represented by tape diagrams or points on the number line. Students may reason in various ways, but here are two likely approaches:

  • partition given fractional parts into smaller equal-size parts and count the new parts (for instance, partitioning each 1 fourth into 3 parts and then counting the twelfths).
  • bundle given fractional parts into larger equal-size groups and count the new groups (for instance, bundling every 2 tenths to make 5 fifths in 1 whole and then counting the fifths).

During this and upcoming activity syntheses, help students recognize regularity in their moves to find equivalent fractions. In future lessons, students will connect more explicitly how diagrams of equivalent fractions relate to a numerical process for generating them. They will relate the subdividing or grouping fractional parts to the idea of using multiples and factors to find equivalent fractions.

Representation: Internalize Comprehension. Synthesis: Invite students to identify which details were required to solve the problem. Display the sentence frame, “The next time I find equivalent fractions, I will follow the steps of. . . .“
Supports accessibility for: Conceptual Processing, Language

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • “In this activity, you’ll see diagrams and number lines that represent fractions.”
  • “Find at least two fractions to describe the shaded part of each diagram, and two fractions for the point on each number line.”

Activity

  • “Take 5 minutes to work independently on the first problem. Afterwards, share your thinking with your partner. ”
  • 5 minutes: independent work time for the first problem
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • “Now take a few minutes to work independently on the second problem.”
  • 5 minutes: independent work time for the remaining problems
  • 2 minutes: partner discussion
  • Monitor for students who:
    • partition each unit fraction (a single section on a tape diagram or an interval on a number line) into smaller parts
    • bundle multiple unit fractions into larger groups
  • Identify 2–3 students who reason differently on tape diagrams and 2–3 who reason differently on number lines.

Student Facing

  1. Each entire diagram represents 1 whole. Write two or more fractions that the shaded part of each diagram represents. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

    1. diagram. 8 equal parts, 2 parts shaded
    2. Diagram. 6 equal parts, 2 parts shaded.
    3. Diagram. 10 equal parts, 2 parts shaded.
    4. Diagram. 12 equal parts, 8 parts shaded.
  2. Write two or more fractions that the point on each number line represents. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

    1. Number line. 0 to 1, There are 6 evenly spaced tick marks. First tick mark, 0.  Sixth tick mark, 1. A point is labeled at the third tick mark.
    2. number line. 11 evenly spaced tick marks. First tick mark, 0. Second tick mark, 1 fourth. Point at fourth tick mark, unlabeled.
    3. Number line. 11 evenly spaced tick marks. First mark labeled 0. Sixth tick mark labeled 1. Point at seventh tick mark, unlabeled.
    4. Number line. 11 evenly spaced tick marks. First tick mark, 0. Second tick mark, 1 fourth. Point at sixth tick mark, unlabeled.
  3. Place a new point on a tick mark on one of the last two number lines (in part c or d). Then, write two fractions that the point represents.

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Advancing Student Thinking

Students label number lines using tick marks alone. For example if 4 marks are visible (including zero) each line would be labeled as fourths instead of thirds. If this happens, consider using the idea of movement from 0 to 1. Ask: “Where is 1 on the number line?” “If we are moving from 0 toward 1, what does this tick mark between 0 and 1 mean?” Ask students to review the labels on their number lines and decide if revisions are needed before continuing to work on the next activity.

Activity Synthesis

  • Select previously identified students to share how they found multiple equivalent fractions on the two kinds of representations. Display their work, or display the diagrams in the activity for them to annotate as they explain.
  • “How is the process of finding equivalent fractions using diagrams like the process of using number lines?” (They both involve partitioning given parts into smaller parts, or bundling the given parts into larger parts.)
  • “How are they different?” (The length of a diagram usually is 1 whole or another whole number. A number line doesn’t always show 1 whole, so we may have to figure out where it is first.)
  • If time permits: “Can you write other equivalent fractions for diagram _____?” (Sample response for the last number line diagram: \(\frac{15}{12}\), \(\frac{20}{16}\))
  • “How many fractions do you think you could write for that diagram?” (This prompts students to begin to realize that there are infinite equivalent fractions as the whole is partitioned into smaller parts.)

Activity 2: Equivalent for Sure? (15 minutes)

Narrative

In this activity, students find equivalent fractions for fractions given numerically. They also work to clearly convey their thinking to a partner, which involves choosing and using words, numbers, or other representations with care. In doing so, students practice attending to precision (MP6) as they communicate about mathematics.

Required Materials

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • “Work with a partner on this activity. One person is partner A and the other is B.”
  • “Your task is to find two equivalent fractions for each fraction listed under A or B, and then convince your partner that your fractions are equivalent.”

Activity

  • “Take 5 to 6 quiet minutes to find equivalent fractions and to plan your explanation.”
  • 5–6 minutes: independent work time
  • “Take turns sharing your fractions and explanation with your partner.”
  • “When your partner explains, listen carefully to their reasoning and ask them to clarify if something is unclear.”
  • 5–6 minutes: partner discussion

Student Facing

For each fraction, find two equivalent fractions.

Partner A

  1. \(\frac{3}{2}\)
  2. \(\frac{10}{6}\)

Partner B

  1. \(\frac{4}{3}\)
  2. \(\frac{14}{10}\)

Next, show or explain to your partner how you know that the fractions you wrote are equivalent to the original. Use any representation that you think is helpful.

Student Response

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.

Activity Synthesis

MLR7 Compare and Connect
  • “Create a visual display that shows how you found two equivalent fractions for the second fraction on your list: \(\frac{10}{6}\) for Partner A, and \(\frac{14}{10}\) for Partner B.”
  • “Include diagrams, notes, and any descriptions that might help others understand your thinking.”
  • See lesson synthesis.

Lesson Synthesis

Lesson Synthesis

Ask students to display their work around the room.

“Take a few minutes to walk around and look at the work of at least 4 classmates. Make sure to look at the work by both partners, A and B.”

“As you study others’ work, pay attention to how the reasoning is alike and how it is different.”

“What is the same about the diagrams, words, or explanations that you saw? What is different?”

Cool-down: Two Equivalent Fractions (5 minutes)

Cool-Down

For access, consult one of our IM Certified Partners.