Lesson Plan (Part 2)

Date: March 13, 2016

Duration: 30 minutes

Topic: Fractions

Grade: 2 nd

Goal(s): At the end of this lesson the children will be able to divide a circle and a rectangle into
2, 3, or 4 equal shares.
Materials and Resources Needed:
Rectangle shaped paper (decorated as a candy bar)
Scissors
Pencils
Poster of definitions and examples of: Whole, half, 1/3,
Sequencing Group Work:
Students will be working in whole group > individual > pair > whole group > group of 4 > whole
group
This sequence is important for the full understanding of the goal and to be able to participate in
the high-level task. According to the Van de Walle text, this sequence will help the students
participate in all of the five processes of doing mathematics. Problem-solving in their individual
then explaining their reasoning with partners. They will communicate in their groups different
ways to divide up their candy bar and connect with each other the purpose of making equal
shares. Lastly, the students will be able to represent their ideas when we come back to the whole
group to show how they cut up their model with their group. The demand of the task, as the Van
de Walle text states is high level because, the individual, pair and group sequencing allows the
children to see multiple representations of the task and requires the children to self-monitor
their own cognitive process in order to explain their reasoning to others whether its their
partner, group, or the whole class. This process covers the 5 practices of productive mathematical
discussion (As broken down in the Discuss section). I incorporated anticipating in my monitoring
chart. In advance I anticipated the solutions the children might come up with and during the
lesson I will observe the solutions the children do come with in order to have an idea of what
children I would like to share. As the students are in their groups I will monitor the ideas the
children are going to come up with and support them if there are any questions. I will take note
of the different solutions the students come up with. After all of this during our whole group
discussion I will be able to use selecting and sequencing as seen in the discuss section to choose
the students strategies I would like to be presented and then be able to put them in a specific
order for a learning purpose. Lastly, in the whole group discussion I will connect the students
responses to the mathematical ideas by having them write out their solutions on the white board
and seeing the process and similarities between other students. During this I will also be able to
show the representations that they have and put them into terms of fractions to introduce some
basic concepts.

Academic, Social, and Linguistic Support:

1. Academic: They will see multiple interpretations of how to break a shape into equal
shares. The Van de Walle text mentions that equal sharing is an idea that young children
understand intuitively and that fractions emerge naturally from this scenario (p. 252).
Dealing with real life shapes they might encounter, and real life problems they have
probably dealt with. Placing themselves in the problem to have more motivation to solve
the task. Partitioning is also involved which according to Van de Walle is cutting or
splitting a quantity equally. Connecting this informal knowledge to fair sharing and then
to more formal fraction concepts is key to providing effective initial fraction instruction
in grades preK-2 (p.253).
2. Social: Different types of engagement including working with themselves, partners,
group and the whole class to share their ideas. Having discussion in math is very
important to be able to explain ideas and hear other ones. As children describe and
evaluate solutions to tasks, share approaches, and make conjectures, learning will occur
in ways that are otherwise unlikely to take place. As they listen to other childrens ideas,
they come to see the varied approaches in how problems can be solved and see
mathematics as something that they can do (Van De Walle, 2014, p.19).
3. Linguistic: Children will get multiple chances to share their answers and get any
misconceptions or confusions addressed. They can share with fellow peers and explain
their reasoning. Teachers will be walking around during each grouping sequencing to
give support and answer questions, as well as addressing all of the children to share out
answers and discuss any misconceptions. According to Van De Walle The value of
student talk throughout a mathematics lesson cannot be overemphasized (p.19).
LAUNCH:
(Part one will have left off with the whole group discussing how the children divided their
creation between members of their family)
As a whole group, the teachers will discuss some strategies the students used when dividing up
their food with their family. Teachers will talk with children again about what equal shares
means. What would it look like for something to not be equal and why would that be a problem.
Teachers will discuss that the children are going to have to divide up another item of food, but
there isnt going to be a perfect amount of candy bars for the children so they will have to think
about how to divide them up in a way where everyone gets an equal amount.
Get the children into groups of four based upon their desk sections (?)
Hand out 5 candy bars (rectangle paper) to each group. Reminder*the candy bars stay in the
middle of the table until directed otherwise.

EXPLORE:

Have the children brainstorm ideas of how to give each of their group members an equal amount
of candy bar.
Once the group has decided on the method they like to use have the children get out their scissors
and divide the candy bars
Have the children check and make sure each child got the same amount as their fellow group
members
Have the children come to the carpet with their share of candy bar
Let the groups share out the strategy they used and discuss (write down on the white board the
different ways)
Ask the students what other ways they think would work?
Monitoring:
Solutions

Questions

Each child can have one full candy bar. The last
candy bar has to be split up into four equal parts

What made you want to cut the candy bar that

way?
Are there other ways you could have cut it?
How do you know that each friend got an equal
share?

Break each candy bar into four equal slices, then

evenly split it up between the friends.

How do you know that each friend got an equal

amount?
How would this look different if the candy bar
was square?
Is there a way to do this without cutting up every
candy bar?

Misconception:

What made you cut the last piece in triangles?

Do you think each friend got the same amount?
Did some get more? Did some get less?
What does it mean to be equal?

Each friend gets one full candy bar, The last is cut
into triangles

During the whole group talk I would either write the students ideas down on the overhead or on
the dry erase board depending on where we are sitting. During group work I might jot down
notes of the students ideas to be able to see which students have the concept of equal shares
down, which students know multiple ways to solve the problem, and which groups might be able
to give the variety of answers Im looking for during whole group. I will be able to refer back to
my notes to call on these children and get the strategies to share out.

DISCUSS:
Sequence the solution strategies that you anticipated in the previous Explore part of the lesson
1. Each child can have one full candy bar.
The last candy bar has to be split up into
four equal parts
2. Each friend gets one full candy bar, The
last is cut into triangles
3. Break each candy bar into four equal
slices, then evenly split it up between the
friends.

In presenting the ideas or strategies in this order the children would first be able to see the
common way to break up the candy bar. Leaving a whole one for every one, I believe will be the
most common solution for all the students. This will leave the other solutions left to be shared.
The next solution shared Im hoping will be for a misconception so that it can be discussed and
talked about for the rest of the students to then reflect on their answer they want to give. I might
take one or two misconceptions allowing the children to explain their reasoning and show their
results for them and the other students to talk it out (in a way that wont shut their ideas down).
Lastly, the rest of the time will be left for the other strategies students thought of including giving
students time to think of more ways than the one way they came up with. The goal will be that
the students see there is more than one way to divide something into equal shares.
During this sharing time I would be writing down the solutions on the white board. I would write
the different strategies down and tally mark next to them if another child used the same strategy.
I will be open and curious to all ideas and ask questions to get children to really understand their
reasoning. I might draw out pictures for children to see other examples and invite children up to
show their own.
The students will be watching other strategies written on the board and think about theirs. The
students can raise a hand and share out loud their solution. They can, when given time talk with
their group to come up with a solid explanation and maybe even brainstorming other ideas. The
students will be able to come up when called and draw out their answer they came up with and
talk to their fellow peers to prove why it works.
How are you going to ensure that everyone pays attention during this sharing time?
During this sharing time I will try to make it as engaging and student involved as I can. I will
watch the class and ask information from any student who seems to becoming less interested. I
will try and keep a moving pace and remind students to raise their hand if they have any
questions. I will have the other teacher remind children the expectations and sit by any students
who might need further help.
Write specific questions you would ask during this time so students can:

a. Explain on, debate, and questions the solutions and ideas being shared
How do you know you each got an equal share?
Do you think this is fair for all of the friends?
b. Make connections across strategies presented
What solution was the easiest to do and why?
Whats different between the equal shares of circle and rectangle? Which one was easier?
c. Begin to form generalizations
What other foods can be divided into equal shares?
Definitions of specific fractions, show examples.
Finally, state specific ways in which you will invite students to help you reflect on what they
learned
I will ask at the end of the lesson: In what ways will this be useful to you. How does
knowing how to divide shapes become helpful in solving problems? When do you think
knowing fractions will be helpful? Was their only one right answer? Is there multiple
ways to do other math problems? Did all of you find the same answer and solve it the
same exact way?