Three Part Lesson: Fractions

We were able to observe a 3-part lesson in Laura's classroom.

Part 1: Getting Started

Laura activated prior experiences with fractions with this bellwork.

After the bellwork, the class held a community circle activity that got students to discuss what they did for mother's day.

Part 2: Working on It

Laura introduced the problem to the class.  Each pair had a choice in which task they wanted to work on:

I bought my mom 20 roses for Mother's Day.  3/5 of the roses were red.  The rest were white.  How many of each colour did she get?  Show your work.  Include a diagram.

I bought my mom 10 roses for Mother's Day. 3/5 of the roses were red. The rest were white. How many of each colour did she get? Show your work. Include a diagram.

Having two tasks (parallel tasks) that involves the same skills allows Laura to differentiate instruction for the combined grade.

Here are a few student solutions:

Part 3: Reflecting and Connecting

Laura gave all students the chance to learn about each other's strategy by doing a GALLERY WALK.  Students were given 2-3 sticky notes and asked to leave a comment or question on someone else's solution.

Here are a few:

Once this was done, Laura strategically chose 3 pairs to share their solutions with the class.  As pairs present, the rest of the class may ask questions and/or make connections to their own thinking.  This is a math CONGRESS.

Once each pair presented, Laura asked the rest of the class to place their solution next to the one that was similar to their thinking.

The lesson ended when Laura summarized the lesson and let students know that they will continue the discussion the next day.