TITLE:   
 Adding Common Fractions

CONTENT  AREAS:    Common Fractions
 

GRADE  LEVEL:   4
 

MATERIALS   NEEDED:  Pre-made manipulatives such as cardboard pizza or fractions strips kit
 

KEY   CONCEPTS: Fractions
 

1.1. Understand and apply concepts and procedures from number sense.

Demonstrate understanding of whole and fractional numbers

and place value in whole numbers using objects, pictures, or

symbols.

Grade Level Expectations

1.1. 1 Understand the concept of decimals (money) and fractions.  

1.1.5 Understand the meaning of addition and subtraction on like-denominator fractions.  

GOALS    
 Students will be able to add common fractions.

OBJECTIVES:    Given a lesson on adding fractions, students will demonstrate their understanding of adding common fractions by using their fraction manipulatives kit to solve several fraction problems created by groups.
 

PROCEDURES: 

• Introduction/Preassessment :  (Teacher posts a brownie recipe on the overhead for students to examine.)  Teacher asks:  If I am making brownies and I need to double the recipe.  How do I do that?  What steps do I need to take?

Activity:  Tell students to take out their fraction manipulative kit.  Tell students they will be working in pairs to solve problems that you have created and then in groups of four students will create two of their own problems to share with the class.

Refer back to the brownie recipe:  Ask students if I need to add ¾ cup of flour to ¾ cup of flour, what would that look like using your manipulatives.  (Remind students to work with a partner and to check each other’s answers.)

Ask several students to share their findings and explain how they did found their answer.  Ask if anyone came up with another answer.  Teacher writes problem and student’s answers on the board.

Ask students to help you determine how much 2/3 cup plus 2/3 cup equals. Ask students to use their manipulatives to explain their answers.  (Remind students to check in with their partner to see that you both understand the problem.) 

Ask several students to share their findings and explain how they found their answers.  Ask students does any one have anything different than the answers we have heard.  Did anyone use a different method to arrive at the answer? Teacher writes problem and student’s answers on the board.

      Teacher asks?  Does anyone see a method or pattern that is emerging with the numerators and denominators on the board?

Allow several students to answer. ( You want students to ultimately discover when you add fractions the denominator stays the same and you add the numerators.)  You may need to do many more problems on the board to discover this.

Now I want you to get into your working groups and create two problems to share with the class.  Your group needs to create the problem and have the answers worked out on a sheet of paper to be turned in to me. You have five minutes.

• Closure:  Groups present their created fraction problems to the class for the class to work out.  

POST-ASSESSMENT    Students will be assessed on their created group fraction questions and answers.  Teacher will walk around and check for understanding as the groups take turns presenting their questions to the class.