Math lesson plan 路 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) 路 45 minutes
Understand fractions a/b
Fractions
CCSS 3.NF.A.1England: Y3 Fractions
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Understand fractions a/b.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Equal parts: halves, thirds, quarters
Leads to: Fractions on a number line; Add and subtract fractions with like denominators; What fraction of the group?
Materials: Fraction strips or a fraction wall, Paper strips to fold, Number lines, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up 路 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Equal parts: halves, thirds, quarters). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
Hook 路 5 min
- Cut a pizza or a strip of paper unevenly and ask whether the pieces are really halves or quarters.
- Share the objective: Understand fractions a/b. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it 路 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Model one question from the student sheet, thinking aloud.
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice 路 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
You do: independent practice 路 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket 路 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
Watch out for
- Thinking a bigger denominator means a bigger fraction (1/8 > 1/4).
- Adding the denominators when adding fractions (1/2 + 1/3 = 2/5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Equal parts: halves, thirds, quarters.
- Use concrete materials: fraction strips or a fraction wall.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Fractions on a number line; Add and subtract fractions with like denominators; What fraction of the group?.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-3.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder