Circle Pieces: Red, Pink, Yellow, Blue

Est. Class Sessions: 3

Summarizing the Lesson

Assign the Fractions in Shapes pages in the Student Activity Book to students to provide opportunities for students to transfer what they have learned about fractions of circles to other shapes. Encourage students to use both the Fraction Names displayed and the Writing Numbers in Words page in the Reference section of the Student Guide to write the numbers in words.

As students are working identify students to share their responses to Question 2. Look for students who may have divided the whole into different shapes but the area of each shape is the same. See Shape D in Figure 14.

When most students have completed the questions on the Fractions in Shapes pages, display the Grid Squares Master and ask the students you identified to share their solutions to Question 2. Direct students to decide if they agree with each solution presented. Possible solutions for dividing a grid square into fourths is shown in Figure 14.

Ask:

Is the shape divided into the correct number of parts?
Are they equal-size parts?

Students will likely divide the squares into fourths as shown in Squares A, B, or C. Show students the divisions in Square D if it is not offered.

Ask:

Is the shape divided into the correct number of parts? (Yes, it is divided into four parts.)
Are the four parts the same size? (Yes. They are all 4 square units, but not the same shape.)

A common misconception about fractions is that the parts have to be the same shape as well as the same size. Square D is divided into four equal parts, since each part has an area of four square units.

Question 3 asks students to write fractions for parts of squares in words and numbers.

Ask:

Show or tell how you answered Question 3? (Possible response for Question 3A: First I thought about how many small shaded rectangles could fit in the large square and 8 could fit. If the large square is divided into 8 equal parts, the shaded rectangle is 1 part, so it is 1/8.)

Another misconception some students have is that halves must be symmetrical. Direct students' attention to Question 3C and have this discussion. The shaded shape is half of the large square because 8 of the 16 small squares are shaded. However, the halves are not symmetrical.

Ask:

What fraction describes the shaded part of the large square in Question 3C? ( 8/16 or 1/2 )
How many small squares are in the unit whole? (16 small squares)
How many squares are shaded? (8 small squares are shaded.)
How many squares are not shaded? (8)
Is the square divided into 2 equal-size parts? (Yes)

Remind students that fractional parts of a unit whole have to be equal in size, but do not have to be the same shape or symmetrical.

Assign the Fraction Chart Homework page in the Student Activity Book.

Use the Fractions in Shapes pages with the Feedback Box in the Student Activity Book to assess students' progress toward the following Expectations:

Represent fractions using drawings [E1].
Use words and numbers to name fractions [E2].
Recognize that fractional parts of a unit whole may be different shapes but must be the same size [E3].
Identify a fractional part of a set [E5].
Partition shapes by a given unit fraction [E6].
Identify the unit whole when given a fractional part of a whole [E7].

Some students find fractional parts by folding shapes into halves, quarters, and so on. A misconception that fractional parts must be both equal in size and symmetrical may develop. Use circle pieces to show students that fractional parts do not have to be symmetrical. See Figure 15. Remind them that fractional parts must be equal in size, but do not have to be the same shape or symmetrical.

Student Guide: Reference

Answers