Estimation Explorations with Fractions
10 min
Narrative
This Warm-up prompts students to compare four images. It gives students a reason to use language precisely (MP6). It gives the teacher an opportunity to hear how students use terminology to talk about characteristics of the items in comparison to one another. During the discussion, ask students to explain the meaning of any terms they use, such as “parts,” “pieces,” “whole,” “shapes,” “triangle,” “quadrilateral,” or “halves.”
Launch
- Groups of 2
- Display the image.
- “Pick 3 shapes that go together. Be ready to share why they go together.”
- 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
- “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
- 2–3 minutes: partner discussion
- Share and record responses.
Student Task
Which 3 go together?
Sample Response
Sample responses:
A, B, and C go together because:- They show 1 shape.
- They show 1 shape composed of 2 shapes.
- They show shapes that are split into halves.
- They show shapes that have equal-size parts.
- They show at least 1 quadrilateral.
- They show at least 1 rectangle.
- They have a shaded part.
- They have dashed lines.
- They have at least 1 part that is a triangle.
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
- “Why do all 4 go together?” (All are shapes. All are partitioned into other shapes or composed of 2 other shapes. All show 2 parts, but not all show halves.)
Standards
- 3.NF.1·Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.
- 3.NF.A.1·Understand a fraction <span class="math">\(1/b\)</span> as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into <span class="math">\(b\)</span> equal parts; understand a fraction <span class="math">\(a/b\)</span> as the quantity formed by <span class="math">\(a\)</span> parts of size <span class="math">\(1/b\)</span>.
15 min
10 min
10 min
Knowledge Components
All skills for this lesson
No KCs tagged for this lesson
Estimation Explorations with Fractions
10 min
Narrative
This Warm-up prompts students to compare four images. It gives students a reason to use language precisely (MP6). It gives the teacher an opportunity to hear how students use terminology to talk about characteristics of the items in comparison to one another. During the discussion, ask students to explain the meaning of any terms they use, such as “parts,” “pieces,” “whole,” “shapes,” “triangle,” “quadrilateral,” or “halves.”
Launch
- Groups of 2
- Display the image.
- “Pick 3 shapes that go together. Be ready to share why they go together.”
- 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
- “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
- 2–3 minutes: partner discussion
- Share and record responses.
Student Task
Which 3 go together?
Sample Response
Sample responses:
A, B, and C go together because:- They show 1 shape.
- They show 1 shape composed of 2 shapes.
- They show shapes that are split into halves.
- They show shapes that have equal-size parts.
- They show at least 1 quadrilateral.
- They show at least 1 rectangle.
- They have a shaded part.
- They have dashed lines.
- They have at least 1 part that is a triangle.
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
- “Why do all 4 go together?” (All are shapes. All are partitioned into other shapes or composed of 2 other shapes. All show 2 parts, but not all show halves.)
Standards
- 3.NF.1·Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.
- 3.NF.A.1·Understand a fraction <span class="math">\(1/b\)</span> as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into <span class="math">\(b\)</span> equal parts; understand a fraction <span class="math">\(a/b\)</span> as the quantity formed by <span class="math">\(a\)</span> parts of size <span class="math">\(1/b\)</span>.