It’s getting to be “fraction season” for many of us, and having quality fraction lessons and activities is SO important as we try to teach this challenging topic! Teaching fractions is a passion of mine and led me to create an entire fraction unit that I’ve shared on my blog over the years. Over time, people were SO excited to try the lessons and wanted more and more detail about how to teach them. They wanted everything I used from writing prompts to assessments and more. Gradually, my fraction unit was “born”!
Over time, it has evolved and grown and gotten more components to help teachers teach fractions. It’s truly my “baby” and has helped LITERALLY thousands of teachers improve their instruction. It’s like lessons and professional development all in one. From “in the trenches” photos to teaching tips to helpful hints, it’s a great tool to use either on its own or as a supplement to a textbook or other resource.
How is this different from fraction lessons in a textbook?
I’m so glad you asked! I am on a quest to help teachers really learn WHY fractions are challenging to teach–and to help them develop strategies. I have a TON of blog posts, but I want to draw your attention to one short series in case you are interested. You can click the links below to learn more. Again, teaching fractions is a HUGE part of what we do in grades 3-5, but many of us haven’t been given the professional development needed to do so effectively. Let me help!
- What makes fractions so difficult?
- Teaching fractions with a gradual release model
- A balanced approach to teaching fractions
The goal of my fraction unit is to build deep understanding by having students USE and explore fractions, not merely learn how to compute with fractions. I want students to:
- Play and model with fractions
- Talk about fractions in increasingly sophisticated ways
- Use deep reasoning to talk and write about fraction concepts
- Explain their thinking using clear math language
- Critique the thinking of others and defend their reasoning
- Look for patterns and connections
- Find and explore real-world examples of fractions
- And so much more!
Fraction Unit Updates
Although the content hasn’t really changed over the years, I’ve continued to add features, explanations, and tools to help teachers. The latest? A more detailed table of contents complete with learning targets to help your planning.
In the unit, I include a NUMBER of different tools to help you get students talking about fractions and using quality math discourse. The unit weaves this into individual lessons with modeling and ideas. I also included additional tools to help you really get them talking!
This includes help making sure you tackle the Standards for Mathematical Practice which are completely woven into the lessons in this unit.
Fraction Lessons: The Progression
One thing I wanted to do is to help teachers see how these lessons unfold. Again, many teachers use this unit as a supplement to the fraction work they already do because they don’t feel it’s rigorous enough. This table of contents can help you tie these lessons to the other resources you have.
You can even print this document out, take notes on it, and use it as a great planning tool! You will notice a great deal of repetition as the lessons work to build on previous work to deepen understanding.
Want to learn more?
I’d love for you to check it out! Just click the image below or RIGHT HERE. Check out the preview I’ve included–it really gives a good feeling for exactly what you get! Want even more fraction resources? Make sure to check out my fraction BUNDLE which includes the unit plus a ton of other powerful fraction resources and tools!
Want some great fraction freebies? I’d love to send you some! Just CLICK HERE or the image below to get signed up!
