MATHEMATICS UNIT PLANNER

Topic: Fractions and Decimals

Year Level: 4

Key mathematical understandings

(2-4 understandings only; written as statements
believed to be true about the mathematical idea/topic):

Students will know how to

represent halves, thirds and
quarters using visual
representations.

Students will understand decimal

numbers up to tenths and
hundredths, (covered earlier in
the school year).

Term: 3

Week: 6-7

Date:

Key AusVELS Focus / Standard (taken directly from AusVELS documents):

Content strand(s):
Number and Algebra
Sub-strand(s):
Fractions and decimals
Level descriptions:
Investigate the meaning of equivalent fractions
Begin to understand larger and smaller fractions and order them on a number line
Make connections between fractions and decimals.
Proficiency strand(s):
Understanding
Reasoning
Understanding: Make connections between our prior knowledge of fractions and decimals and new understandings,
including connections between fractions and decimals.
Reasoning: Justify their understanding about the differences between fractions and decimals.
Key equipment /
resources:

Key vocabulary (be specific and include definitions of key words appropriate

mathematically, language goals, etc.) (4-5 key skills only):

Benchmarking (3/4 is larger than 2/5 because it is larger than 1/2)

Fraction strips

Residual thinking (how big are the pieces to make up the whole
7/8 > 5/6)

Number Line

Measuring cups

Locating and placing decimals and fractions on a number line

Dice

Equivalence (1/2=2/4).

Deck of cards

Key skills to develop and practise (including strategies, ways of working

Possible misconceptions (list of misconceptions related to the mathematical

idea/topic that students might develop):

Gap thinking 4/5 = 3/4 because there is only one piece missing
from both fractions
2/4 > 1/2 because the numerator is larger
1/2 is between 1 and 2 (or other similar fractions)

Learning
strategies/ skills

Analysing
Checking
Classifying
Co-operating
Considering options
Designing
Elaborating

Estimating
Explaining
Generalising
Hypothesising
Inferring
Interpreting
Justifying

Listening
Locating information
Making choices
Note taking
Observing
Ordering events
Organising

to use with students)

Equivalence/equal to
More than/less than
Bigger/smaller
Numerator/denominator

Key probing questions

Links to other contexts (if applicable, e.g., inquiry unit focus, current

(focus questions that will be used to

develop understanding to be used
during the sequence of lessons; 3
5 probing questions):

events, literature, etc.):

How do we know?
Can we show this another
way?
What are some examples
of this?
Performing
Persuading
Planning
Predicting
Presenting
Providing feedback
Questioning

Reading
Recognising bias
Reflecting
Reporting
Responding
Restating
Revising

Seeing patterns
Selecting
information
Self-assessing
Sharing ideas
Summarising
Synthesising

Testing
Viewing
Visually representing
Working independently
Working to a timetable

MATHEMATI
CAL
FOCUS
(what you want the
children to come to
understand as a
result of this
lesson short,
succinct
statement)

Session 1:
We are
learning to
understand
how fractions
can be larger
or smaller
than others.

TUNING IN
(a short, sharp task relating to the
focus of the lesson; sets the scene/
context for what students do in the
independent aspect. e.g., It may be a
problem posed, spider diagram, an
open-ended question, game, or
reading a story)

INVESTIGATIONS
SESSION

REFLECTION & MAKING

CONNECTIONS SESSION

(INDEPENDENT LEARNING)
(extended opportunity for students
to work in pairs, small groups or
individually. Time for teacher to
probe childrens thinking or work
with a small group for part of the
time and to also conduct roving
conferences)

(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)

(focused teacher questions and summary
to draw out the mathematics and assist
children to make links. NB. This may
occur at particular points during a lesson.
Use of spotlight, strategy, gallery walk,
etc.)

Fraction Bingo

Larger or smaller

Whole class discussion:

Were some cups were
smaller or larger than
each other?
Were some fractions the
same as each other?
How could we represent
this as a fraction?
Can we begin to order
some of these fractions?

(WHOLE CLASS FOCUS)

See appendix 1 for

game explanation
See appendix 3 for
fraction bingo cards

Fraction Bingo
Session 2
We are
learning to
understand
that different
fractions can
be the same
as each
other.

Repeat activity from

session 1 ensure
students have a
different board to
maximise student
learning.
See appendix 1 for
game explanation
See appendix 3 for
fraction bingo cards

Fraction strips:

Longest fraction strip

Session 3
We are
learning to
understand
that different
fractions can
be the same
as each

See appendix 1 for

game explanation
Mixed ability grouping

Mixed ability groups

of 3.
See appendix 2 for
explanation.

See appendix 2 for

explanation
Mixed ability,
students in pairs

Colour in Fractions

See appendix 2 for

explanation and
resources
See appendix 4 and
5 for sheets
Mixed ability

Whole class discussion

Which fraction was the
closest to another
fraction? (Have they
found equivalence?)
Can some fractions be
the same as each other?
What are some
examples of this?

Gallery Walk
Students go around the room
and look at other students
work. Students write 1 thing
on sticky notes that surprised
them/was different to what
they did/something they
learnt.

ADAPTATIONS
- Enabling prompt
(to allow those experiencing difficulty to
engage in active experiences related to the
initial goal task)
- Extending prompt
(questions that extend students thinking on
the initial task)

Enabling:
Mixed ability grouping
Teacher to encourage
students to focus on half,
quarter and whole cup
similarities.

Extending:
Students to find similarities
between
Halves and thirds
Thirds and quarters

Enabling:
Mixed ability grouping
Using visuals materials to
help students to understand
concepts
Extending:
Students to find other
fractions that are close
together have the found
the same as fractions or
fractions that are close but
not exactly the same?
Enabling:
Mixed ability pairs.
Extending:
If students finish 1st sheet
first, students can move
onto harder sheet (with 6ths

ASSESSMENT
STRATEGIES
(should relate to objective. Includes what
the teacher will listen for, observe, note
or analyse; what evidence of learning will
be collected and what criteria will be
used to analyse the evidence)

Anecdotal notes checking:

How the numerator can

impact the size of the
fraction.
Larger and smaller than
fraction understanding

Videos showing students

working through
understanding about:
Student ideas about
equivalence
Understanding of how
fractions can be closer
to/smaller/ than others

Photos of student work,

combined with anecdotal
notes checking:
Ideas about equivalence
Ideas about larger
than/smaller than
fractions.

other.

grouping

Longest fraction strip

Session 4
We are
learning to
know when
fractions are
larger,
smaller or
the same.

Session 5
We are
learning to
combine our
knowledge of
decimals and
fractions and
use number
lines.

Repeat game from

session 3
See appendix 1 for
game explanation
Mixed ability grouping
(ensure grouping is
different from the
previous day)

Fraction War:

Memory Game

See appendix 1 for

game explanation
See appendix 6 for
memory cards
Mixed ability grouping

Mixed ability
grouping
See appendix 2 for
explanation and
resources needed
Talk about improper
fractions can we
change the cards
around if we end up
with a fraction that
says 4/3 etc?

Number line:
See appendix 2 for
explanation and
resources needed
See appendix 7 and
8 for number line
cards
Individual task for
assessment of unit.

Teacher Questions:
What did we learn?
Did something surprise
you?
How did you know it was
the same?

and 8ths).

Whole class discussion:

What was something that

surprised you?
How did you know it was
larger?

Teacher Questions:
How do we know that
goes there?
Is that the same fraction
as something else?
Is that larger or smaller
than another fraction?

Enabling:
Mixed ability grouping
Using visuals to help
student learning
Extending:
Teacher can either give
students decimal point cards
to add into the game 1
team to have decimal point
cards, one to have fraction
cards
Or students can use
improper fractions in game
what happens when the
numerator is larger than the
denominator?
Enabling:
Teacher questions where
would 1/2 go? 1? 2? 1/4?
Extending:
Students to think about the
position of:
Fractions with numerators
other than 1
Decimals on the number line

Appendix: 1 - Tuning In Activities

Anecdotal notes showing

understanding of:

Student preferred
strategy for solving
fractions
Ability to justify why
fractions were
larger/smaller (other
than it just is)

Summative assessment:
Collecting number lines.
Understanding of:
Equivalence (2/4 = 1/2)
Representing fractions
such as quarters, halves
and thirds and whole
numbers and ordering
them.

ACTIVITY

FRACTION BINGO

EXPLANATION

Hand out the 4 bingo sheets (1 to each

student). Students place 1 counter on
board each turn if they have a relevant
space.
Teacher questions may include: (place
a counter on)
The fraction with the
biggest/smallest
numerator/denominator
The fraction closest to 0 or 1
Fractions including: 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4,
1/5 with different numerators.

RESOURCES

Bingo sheets (photocopy to have 1

per student) Appendix 3
Counters

LONGEST FRACTION
STRIP
Using the fraction strips made
in the previous lesson,
students in pairs take turns to
roll 2 dice to make a fraction.
They then add the relevant
strip to their longest strip,
and the next person takes
their turn. Students each turn
add another strip to their
longest strip to make it longer
each turn. At the end of game,
the student with the longest
strip is the winner.

Students fraction strips

Dice (2 per pair)

MEMORY GAME
Students work in pairs to
match up fractions with word
name, fraction, and two
picture cards. Students must
find 2 cards to make a pair in
order to win the pair. (There
will then be 2 of the same
fraction card left to make
another pair).

Memory sheet (photocopy

to have 1 game per pair)
Appendix 6.

Appendix: 2 - Investigation Session

ACTIVITY

SESSION 1
Larger or smaller
Students will use
rice and measuring
cups (whole cups,

SESSION 2
Fraction Strips
As a class,
students to make
fractions strips by

SESSION 3
Colour in
Fractions
Students in
pairs roll a

SESSION 4
Fraction War
Students in groups of 4 (2
teams of 2) have half the
allocated cards. Each team

SESSION 5
Number line
As a whole class,
students create a
number line (see

quarters, halves and

thirds) to begin to
understand how
some fractions are
larger and smaller
than each other.

RESOURCES

folding pieces of
paper the same
size. (1 whole,
half, thirds and
quarters)

They will solve the

question:
What fractions are
smaller or larger
than others? How
do we know this?

Students then
work in pairs using
fraction strips to
solve question:
Which fraction is
the closest in
size to another
fraction?

Rice
Measuring cups
Bowls (2 per
group)

Paper
Scissors
Working out
paper/pens

fraction (using
2x 4 sided dice)
one at a time.
Once they have
rolled the dice
they form a
fraction and
then colour in
the relevant
fraction. The
game continues
until one player
has filled in the
entire sheet.

flips over 2 cards (to form 1

fraction each). Students
work to solve which fraction
is larger. The winning team
(whose fraction was larger)
keeps the cards. Play
continues until no cards are
left, and the team with the
most cards wins. (Game can
repeat)

number line cards

in appendix). Give
students cards to
put on number
line.

2 dice per
pair
Colour in
Fraction
sheet
(Appendix 4
and 5)

Several decks of cards

with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4.
Pencils/working out
paper
Fraction strips for
reference point

When task is
finished, students
go back to tables
to create their
own number line.

Number line
cards
(enlarged to
A3) See
appendix 7
and 8
Paper for
students own
number lines