Standards
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.1
Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NF.A.3
Explain equivalence of fractions in special cases, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size.
Lesson Time
40 minutes
Technology Required
Students will need a PC with Windows 10 or and a Mac for playing Fish Lake.
Summary
This lesson for Grades 3-5 will introduce students to fractions literacy using visual representations.
Vocabulary Words
Fraction: How many equal parts there are in a whole.
Numerator: Represents the number of parts you have.
Denominator: Represents the total number of parts to make up 1.
The video also covers commonly represented fractions and introduces the idea that you can represent many different values as fractions.
Lesson
Introduce the vocabulary words to your students.
Have students watch the video on Fractions: What’s the Word?
Your students will then play Fish Lake to practice fractions.
Video
Play Fish Lake
Play Fish Lake for at least 30 minutes when your vocabulary lesson is finished to practice fractions. Fish Lake is great for teaching fractions because it has helpful examples, many hints, and student reports for you to draw on for assessment later, when your students are finished playing.