Pedagogical Focus: While my lesson contains elements of all three of the high leverage practices (assessing student

understanding, facilitating mathematical discussion, selecting and using representations), I wish to work particularly on
assessing student understanding through listening to their strategies and explanations, and adjusting my lesson accordingly.
[great!]
What: My lesson look at comparing and ordering fractions of different sizes. My cooperating teacher and I decided that I
would work with students who are struggling with the fraction unit in their textbook. They have already studied fractions
before, in fifth grade, but I have seen that students come to sixth grade with widely divergent skill levels. I thus designed my
lesson to focus on students' understanding of what a fraction is, rather than numerical manipulation of fractions (such as
equivalent fractions or common denominators). I have chosen to focus on visual representations of different fractions in
order to show part-whole relationships (Chapin & Johnson, 2006). Students will examine and compare the part-whole
relationships of various fractions as a way of comparing their sizes. Students will be able to rely on visual comparisons, but
the analysis of the models and of the relationships between numerator and denominator is meant to help students move
toward numerical reasoning about fractions. Using visuals may help with aspects that students frequently find confusing.
For instance, they may see and 3/5 and conclude that 3/5 is the bigger fraction because 5 is a bigger number than 4.
How: With all my Term III lessons, I have tried to integrate cooperative work and the use of multiple modalities. I will use
a combination of whole class (that is, my entire group of 4-5 students) work and small group/pair work. Regarding the
mathematical ideas, students will use modeling throughout to connect the symbolic notation of fractions (a/b) with the
part/whole visual model shown of the manipulatives. The movement from whole group pair work- whole group discussion
will allow students to review concepts, then work more independently and practice, and finally review with a discussion of
students' thinking and strategies. The tasks make use of multiple modalities; the fraction representations are visual, and
students must talk about their ideas and rationales for ordering them. They must also write down and briefly justify their
answers. There is also a kinesthetic element in moving the pieces of paper around to order them, and when students will
stand up and order themselves as the different fractions. It also sounds like you are relying heavily on modeling
connecting fraction symbolic notations with part/whole model

Janine Remillard 11/10/2014 10:36 AM

Comment [1]: This is your main

mathematical idea. It needs a bit more
unpacking. What is involved in this
understanding?

Unknown Author 11/11/2014 7:59 AM

Deleted: We will then come together as a

The four dimensions:

Task: The task of ordering the fractions visually will help them understand the meaning of fractional notation as well as
extend their number sense to fractional numbers. As previously mentioned, these concrete, visual representations are the
basis for more abstract thinking.
Discourse: I will begin with whole group instruction, in which the majority of interaction will likely be between teacher and
student. However, in order for students to order themselves according to fraction sizes, they will need to interact with each
other. The pair/small group task will also encourage students to talk to one another and offer and explain their ideas. As the
teacher, I will try to use questions to get students to draw out students' thinking and strategies as well as to assess their
understanding. I will try to focus discussion on why answers make sense and how students arrived at those answers.
Tools: A variety of tools will be used. Students will be using paper manipulatives throughout the lesson. They will also use
model sentences to compare fractions and justify their answers (________ is ________ than _______ because). A simple
graphic organizer will be used to help students line up their ordered fractions.
Norms: I will model with students what productive, respectful cooperative work looks and sounds like before students begin
the activity. The students do work in small groups in their regular math class, but I have seen that frequently one student
does all the work for the others, or students end up working independently unless they need help. I will explicitly state to
students my belief that no one of us alone is as smart as all of us together. Additionally, I really want to create a climate
where process is as important as the answer itself. I will tell students that I am just as interested in how they got their
answers as in what answer they got.
Why: I chose the topic of ordering and comparing fractions for several reasons. First, fractions are part of the students
curriculum, and I know that this can be a challenging topic for students. I have seen that some of the lower achieving math
students in the class really lack the conceptual foundations for the mathematics they are expected to be able to do in sixth
grade. The class is fast-paced, especially with topics to which students have previous exposure, so I wanted to work with
struggling students. Second, I find fractions to be a rich mathematical topic but one that is also somewhat intimidating to me
as a teacher. Thus I wanted to challenge myself. Regarding my teaching methods, I believe that cooperative work is both
effective as a teaching method and an important life skill for students to learn. In particular, I want to use group work in
order to build a classroom culture where students feel empowered to participate and share ideas with each other. I also want
to give them multiple ways to participate. Students who feel shy speaking in front of the whole class may be active
participants in pair work, for instance. I was also influenced by Gardener's theory of the multiple intelligences in this and all

Janine Remillard 11/10/2014 10:44 AM

Comment [2]: Good for you!

my lessons. I built in visual (manipulatives), auditory (discussion), and kinesthetic (manipulatives, lining up by order
activity) aspects to my lesson. While discussion (between pairs, as a whole group) may be predominant, these other
modalities will support students who are particularly strong in these areas.
Objectives: Students will increase understanding of the meaning of the numerator and denominator through part/whole
visual representations of fractions in order to compare relative sizes. They will explain the thinking behind their answers,
both orally and in written form. Do you want to add that they will understand that meaning of the numerator and
denominator wrt part/whole fractions?
Standards:

Unknown Author 11/11/2014 8:10 AM

Deleted: how to order fractions by size

using visual analysis of the numerator and
denominator

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.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NF.A.2
Compare two fractions with different numerators and different denominators, e.g., by creating common denominators or
numerators, or by comparing to a benchmark fraction such as 1/2. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two
fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions,
e.g., by using a visual fraction model.
Materials and Preparation:
-whiteboard markers
-four fraction cards (3/4, 3/5, 2/4, 8/8)
-two sets of four fraction cards (7/7, 3/6, 1 2/5, 1/6)
-two sets of extra fraction cards (5/8, 1 2/3, 1/3, 6/9)
-magnets
Classroom arrangement and management issues:
This lesson will take place in an empty classroom down the hall from the main classroom. Four to six students will be taken
out of the classroom while the other students continue to have math class. Students will sit at desks in front of the white
board. Pairs of desks will be arranged in an arc around the whiteboard. In this way students will be able to participate in full
group discussions as well as easily turn and work with their partner(s). I will have a desk in front of the whiteboard, which I
will use to keep materials. The arrangement will allow me to easily move around to different students/pairs of students.
The agenda will be written on the board when students come in and will read as follows: Introwhole group; work in pairs;
wrap-upwhole group
Plan:
Launch:
(15 minutes) Teacher will tell students, today, we're going to look at fractions of different sizes. We're going to compare
them and look at how we can put them in order from smallest to biggest.
Teacher will go over three norms for pair/small group work with students: listen to each other, take turns, use respectful
language. These will be written on the board.
Teacher reminds students: I'm just as interested in how you get your answers as I am in what answer you get.

Unknown Author 11/11/2014 12:34 PM

Deleted: disagree respectfully

Janine Remillard 11/10/2014 10:48 AM

Teacher puts first fraction card on board () and asks students how what fraction it is and how they know (exemplary
answers: there are four parts, and one parts is shaded in). She asks students how to write . This is repeated with three more
fractions (3/5, 3/6, 8/8). At each step students are asked to explain their thinking (how do you know? Where does the 3
come from? What does the shaded part mean?) and are asked if they agree with each other. Follow-up questions can

Comment [3]: I like this phrasing. I am

often unsettled when people say, there
are no right answers because there are.
The point is that both matters.

include, what if [numerator] were [a different number]? What if [different number of pieces] were shaded in? The terms
numerator and denominator will be reviewed. Two of the fractions can be written two different ways (3/6 or ; 8/8 or
1). Teacher will ask questions to make sure students see that these mean the same thing (for example, so we see there are 3
out of 6 parts shaded in; is there another way we can say this as a fraction?).
After each fraction has been identified, students will asked to come up and take a paper from the board. Students will talk
each other in order to order themselves from smallest to biggest fraction. If students have trouble, the teacher will remind
them to look at the pictures, and compare how much is shaded in. The group will go over how they made their decisions.
Questions might include, how did you know 3/5 was bigger than ? Is 3/5 bigger than a half? The reordered fractions will
remain on the board. Students will return to their seats.
(20 minutes) Work and Explore:
Before students begin work, the teacher will remind them of pair work norms. Pairs of students will be given four fraction
cards. Each card has a picture of a fraction and the sentence _______ of the _______ pieces are colored. Students will
first label the fractions, and then order their cards. If students are moving quickly and easily able to identify and order the
fractions, they will be given additional cards to add to their set. The teacher will monitor the students as they work and ask
questions both to offer assistance and to ask students to explain their thinking. [I anticipate this going quicker than 20
minutes, but if that happens, you can have more time for the discussion.]
(15 minutes) Debrief and wrap-up:
The students will put their ordered fractions up on the board. The teacher will facilitate a compare and connect style
discussion (Kazemi & Hintz, 2014), in which students compare their orders (if they are different) and discuss what
strategies they used to order the fractions. Students will be asked to describe how they ordered their fractions. The teacher
will stress that there are different ways to see the comparisons of the shaded areas. Questions might include: how is [pair
1]'s strategy different than what you [pair 2] did? Do you want to revise your thinking? What fractions were easier to put in
the order? Which ones were harder? For at least two of the fractions, the teacher will write on the board, ____ is bigger
than ____ because____ and elicit students' explanations.
At the very end, the teacher will ask students to reflect on working in pairs: what went well and what was challenging?
Anticipating Student Responses:
As I know I will be working with students who are lower-achieving in math, I am concerned that they will be difficult to
engage because they find math intimidating. I will start out with simple fractions () in order to build their confidence. I
believe they will find the manipulatives to be a more accessible way of thinking about fractions. Although I don't know yet
who will be in my group, I do know which students tend to struggle in math and I have seen that these students often are
very reticent to explain their thinking and sometimes disengage rather than risk failure. I will try to use questions that get at
what students do know rather than what they don't know. For instance, I might ask them to describe what they see on the
fraction card. Questions like this may be less intimidating, especially out the outset, than questions that require students to
jump into explaining their strategies.
If students go off-task or have difficulty working together, I will redirect them and remind them of the pair work norms.
Accommodations:
I will be continually assessing students' understanding through listening and watching their progress. If the task is too easy,
I will have more fractions cards on hand, including equivalent fractions. If it is too difficult, in the discussion we will only
look at two fractions rather than the full four.

Janine Remillard 11/10/2014 10:49 AM

Comment [4]: Excellent choices!!

Assessment Checklist
Student's
Explains what
Name
shaded
sections/total
sections of
fraction
represent

Explains
where
numerator/
denominat
or come
from

Compares
area that is
shaded, not
just number
of shaded
sections, to
order
fractions

Is able to see
that a/a (eg
8/8) is
equivalent to
1 whole.

Is able to
compare
fractions
to a
benchm
ark
number
such as 0,
, 1

Is able to see at
least some
equivalent
fractions, such
as , 2/4

Can explain
visual strategies
for determining
size, order, and
equivalence