Lesson 11

Workshop: More Than, Less Than, or Equal To

Est. Class Sessions: 1

Developing the Lesson

Part 2. Workshop

Set Up the Workshop. Review the organization of this Workshop by skimming the menus and problems on the Workshop: More Than, Less Than, or Equal To pages in the Student Guide and the Ordering Fractions pages in the Student Activity Book. The workshop is divided into three sections that address Expectations as shown in Figure 4. Minis of the Student Guide and Student Activity Book pages not shown here are in the Answer Key.

Choose Targeted Practice. Students begin each section by first answering the Self-Check Questions, either individually or with partners. These questions serve two purposes. First, they clearly communicate the content of the related targeted practice to students. Second, they help students quickly self-assess their progress with the Expectations to help them choose which problems to work on in the workshop.

Use Self-Check: Questions 1–5 and 16 in the Student Guide to assess students' progress on the following expectations:

E8.: Find equivalent fractions using area models (circle pieces, fraction strips, drawings) and multiplication and division strategies.
E9.: Compare and order fractions using area models, number lines, and one-half as a benchmark.

Use Self-Check: Question 1 in the Student Activity Book to assess students' abilities to make connections among representations [E7] and compare and order fractions using one-half as a benchmark [E9].

After students complete the Self-Check Questions in a section, discuss each of the questions with the whole class. Ask students to share their solutions and explain their reasoning. Facilitate a class discussion with students' solutions. Next, have students think about each “Can I Do This?” question in the left-hand column of the menu following the Self-Check Questions. Ask students to review their work on the Self-Check Questions to decide which problems to choose from the following groups:

Students who are “working on it” and need some extra help should circle the problem set marked with a triangle (). These problems provide scaffolded support for developing the essential underlying concepts as well as some opportunities for practice.
Students who are “getting it” and just need more practice should circle the problem set marked with a circle (). These problems provide opportunities to practice with some concept reinforcement and some opportunities for extension.
Students who have “got it” and are ready for a challenge or extension should circle problems marked with a square (). These problems provide some practice and then move into opportunities for extension.

Note that students' self-assessment of their own abilities may vary between rows in a menu or between menus. For example, a student might circle the “” questions in one row and the “” or “” questions in another row or in a subsequent menu. A student's comfort and ability may vary by Expectation, and the workshop allows each student to choose problems flexibly based on what type of practice he or she needs for each “Can I Do This?” question.

Check students' choices to see how well they match your own assessment of their progress on the related Expectations. Help students make selections that will provide the kind of practice they need.

Some students may not have completed all of their selected questions in a section before you introduce the next section with the whole class. While this may mean interrupting students' flow of work, it is also important that students who complete problems more quickly are able to continue working. For students who need more time, unfinished problems can be completed at the end of the workshop lesson as needed. They can also be sent home as homework. For students who finish all their selected problems before the rest of the class, encourage them to work on more advanced problems from the menu or to play one of the Fraction Fill games.

Once students select the questions to complete in a section of the workshop, match groups of students who have chosen similar sets of problems from the menu. Have students work together with a partner or in a small group to solve the problems they chose.

After the first few groups of students have completed their selected problems, but before all students have completed their problems, introduce the next section to the whole class. See the Meeting Individual Needs box. Again, have students try the Self-Check Questions, discuss solutions, and choose problems from the menu with your guidance. Follow this pattern through each section of the workshop.

Show Your Thinking. After students have had a chance to work on Question 15 in the Student Guide, ask them to share and discuss solutions. Refer students to Math Practices Expectations 2 and 5, Find a strategy and Show my work, respectively, on the Math Practices page in the Student Guide Reference section. Direct students to share their solution to Question 15 with a small group of classmates. Ask them to listen to their classmate's solution and relate it back to him or her. This creates a conversation about the strategy and how to make the student's thinking clearer.

While small groups are working, select a few student samples to share and discuss with the entire class.

Ask:

Describe [student name]'s strategy?
What is interesting about this strategy?
What tools did [student name] use? What other tools could you use?
Did [student name] show enough work so we can understand his or her thinking?
Should [student name] show or tell anything else?

Have students revise their explanations based on this discussion. Remind them that they will be assessed on the clarity of their explanations, as well as their answers.

Use Check-In: Question 15 on the More Than, Less Than, or Equal To pages in the Student Guide and the corresponding Feedback Box Master to assess students' abilities to find equivalent fractions [E8]; compare and order fractions using area models [E9]; find a strategy to solve a problem [MPE2]; and show work to explain a solution [MPE5].