Student should connect this new skill to what they learned about multiplication in third grade. To multiply means to have "equal groups of". Take the following problem for example:
If Mrs. Dabney uses 1/4 cups of sugar in a gallon of sweet tea, how many cups would she use in 6 gallons?
This problem could be solved a variety of ways. Students could think of their fraction strips and sketch the problem or write 6 groups of 1/4, as shown below:
If Mrs. Dabney uses 1/4 cups of sugar in a gallon of sweet tea, how many cups would she use in 6 gallons?
This problem could be solved a variety of ways. Students could think of their fraction strips and sketch the problem or write 6 groups of 1/4, as shown below:
Students can write the equation as an addition sentence (pictured above) or as 6 x 1/4 = 6/4. Students should understand that the denominator does not change when you are adding fractions with like denominators or multiplying fractions by a whole number because the size of the pieces does not change.
An awesome math specialist came to our first block class today and taught the lesson. It was nice to switch it up, and I learned a lot from watching her teach. My students made me super proud of both their behavior and their answering of her questions.
Students used their fraction strips, pattern blocks, pictures, number lines, and symbols (numbers) to solve several problems like the example above. It is incredibly important that students understand conceptually how to solve fraction problems, not just be taught a trick (like using cross multiplication for finding equivalent fractions). Students must be able to explain how they found their answer by drawing pictures and using words.
This is a skill students will need to practice, practice, practice!
An awesome math specialist came to our first block class today and taught the lesson. It was nice to switch it up, and I learned a lot from watching her teach. My students made me super proud of both their behavior and their answering of her questions.
Students used their fraction strips, pattern blocks, pictures, number lines, and symbols (numbers) to solve several problems like the example above. It is incredibly important that students understand conceptually how to solve fraction problems, not just be taught a trick (like using cross multiplication for finding equivalent fractions). Students must be able to explain how they found their answer by drawing pictures and using words.
This is a skill students will need to practice, practice, practice!