Plan a Fun Run

10 min

Narrative

The purpose of this Warm-up is to elicit the different things students notice when they make sense of maps. This will be helpful when students interpret increasingly complex maps over the course of the lesson activities. While students may notice and wonder many things about the map, students’ use of the key to interpret the symbols and the connections students may make to fractions on the number line are the important discussion points.

Launch

  • Groups of 2
  • Display the image.
  • “What do you notice? What do you wonder?”
  • 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
  • “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
  • 1 minute: partner discussion
  • Share and record responses. 

Student Task

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Solution Steps (4)
  1. 1
    Observe map of 3-mile race
    →Map shows race route with start, finish, and water stations
  2. 2
    Examine number line below map
    →Number line from 0 to 3 miles, partitioned into halves
  3. 3
    Read fractions on number line
    →Labels show 1/2, 2/2, 3/2, 4/2, 5/2, 6/2
  4. 4
    Connect fractions to whole numbers
    →2/2 = 1 mile, 4/2 = 2 miles, 6/2 = 3 miles

Sample Response

Students may notice:

  • It is a map.
  • It looks like the map of a trail or a race.
  • The key shows pictures and tells what they are. I can find them on the map and on the number line.
  • The number line shows each mile partitioned into halves. It shows 12\frac{1}{2}, 22\frac{2}{2}, 32\frac{3}{2}, 42\frac{4}{2}, 52\frac{5}{2}, and 62\frac{6}{2}.

Students may wonder:

  • Is this a map of a race?
  • Why is there a number line below it?
  • Do the map and the number line show the same length?
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
  • “How did you use the key to make sense of the map?” (I think it’s a trail because there’s a symbol for the start and finish. I think it’s for a race because it looks like it’s in a city and the key shows water stations.)
  • “How is the map the same as the number line? How is it different?” (Both have the same symbols and some of the same numbers. It looks like the water stations are halfway between each number on both. The number line is straight, but the map shows curves and bends. The number line shows fractions, like 12\frac{1}{2}.)
  • “This is the map of a 3-mile race. What do you know about running in a race? Have you ever run in a really long race?”
Standards
Building On
  • 3.NF.2·Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram.
  • 3.NF.A.2·Understand a fraction as a number on the number line; represent fractions on a number line diagram.

15 min

25 min