Total Lesson Duration: 35 minutes

Topic: Fractions (Addition and finding the missing piece)

Grade: 5

Goal(s) (What is the most important thing related to the math topic as
envisioned in your lesson plan that your students will learn in this
lesson?)
This task is designed to reinforce the concept of fractions representing
pieces of a whole. While the majority of the class already has this prior
knowledge, the task will scaffold in the additional understanding of the
missing fraction needed to make a whole.
Materials & Resources Needed
Each student will receive one replacement spinner kit
Each student will receive three pieces of colored paper (one each of
red, green and blue) as part of the kit
Each student will receive a piece of paper with the task clearly written
out to be used as work space
Each table (4 students) will have a roll of tape and scissors

Sequencing Group Work

Students will begin the task as a group. We will read and decode the
task as a group as to make sure the whole group understands exactly
what this task is asking. Students will work in their familiar table
mates groupings that have been used all year in order to foster an
effective learning community/ environment. While in these groups,
monitor the students works and engagement with the tasks. They will
work individually on their replacement spinner, but will have the
support of their group. When the task is completed, they will share
with their tablemates. Instruct them to talk about their solutions and
how they got them. Come back together as a class and share
(sequencing). Finally, ask students to make connections amongst the
different solutions.
Whole group (anticipating student response) table groupings
(monitoring students work on and engagement with the
task)individual worktable groupings (begin to build
connections)whole group (sequencing and connection student
response)

Academic, Social and Linguistic Support

Academic In the exploration portion of the lesson, students will be
provided with the exact question. It is often important for these
students to have something right in front of them to work off of.
Social The classroom is already arranged in a way that when they
turn their desks around, they are in an effective learning environment.
These students have been working together since the beginning of the
year and are used to communicating and working effectively with each
other.
Linguistic like the social, these students are arranged in ways that
reflect their language abilities. At each group of four there is a student
that speaks English as a native language, one or two that it is their
second language, and another that struggles a little more. They have
learned to work together to decode problems and use their mutual
language to understand. It is so cool!
Linguistic Students requiring additional support in the language
portion of the task will be given additional assistance by one-on-one
work with the teacher. While monitoring the classroom, the teacher
should note students that are struggling. If it is a student who is an
ELL, the teacher will attend to their needs by helping them decode the
problem through questions listed in later sections. If students still
struggle, limit the linguistic load. Break down the question so it reads
along the lines of Abdul has a missing piece. He knows that of the
spinner is red. 1/3 is blue. If he knows that the rest is green, how much
of the spinner is green? (Van de Walle, p. 69)

LAUNCH (8 minutes)

Begin the launch by reminding students of our classroom norms.

There is a large poster at the front of the classroom. Have one
child read each bullet, and ask them for an example of this
behavior. We have been working on respectful participation, and
students are expected to follow these behaviors in all areas of
the classroom.

Begin the lesson by asking students about their favorite types of

board games. Have examples ready that use spinners such as
Life, Twister, etc.
Have a game of Twister ready in the classroom. Open the box,
only to discover that the spinner has gone missing. Ask students
if they can play the game without the spinner (no). Tell them that
you got this game from a friend, Abdul, and that you would like
to help him with his problem.
Tell students that in order to play the game, they would need to
make a replacement spinner. Now while we will not be playing
the game today, we are going to help a friend solve his problem
about his missing spinner.
Lead into the problem by telling them that you want to help your
friend Abdul, make a replacement spinner.
At this juncture, read the mathematical problem. Abdul has a
problem. He wants to play one of his favorite games, but he lost
the spinner. He remembered that of the spinner was red and
1/3 of the spinner was blue. Abdul could not remember how large
the remaining green section was. What should Abduls
replacement spinner look like?
At this point in time, after the problem has been read, construct
a T-chart on the board. Label one side What I know and the
other side as What I need to find
On the What I know portion of the chart, ask students to
decode the problem and examine what pieces of information
they already have and can use to begin to solve the problem.
Acceptable answers range from 1/2 of the spinner is red, 1/3
is blue, he has a missing piece, etc.
On the What I need to find portion, ask students to come to a
conclusion on what the problem is asking. Answers will
includethe answer, what part of the fraction is green, what the
whole spinner will look like?
If students fail to decode the problem in filling out the second
portion of the chart, ask further probing questions such as How
would you set up this problem What can you do with the given
numbers first? How would you set up your spinner

EXPLORE (15 minutes)

In the exploration section, students will be working on the task

Abdul has a problem. He wants to play one of his favorite
games, but he lost the spinner. He remembered that of the
spinner was red and 1/3 of the spinner was blue. Abdul could not
remember how large the remaining green section was. What
should Abduls replacement spinner look like?
Attached to this document you will find three distinct solutions to
monitor. They are three separate possibilities that outline a few
ways we have learned how to solve fractions. The first solution is
labeled 1; the second is 2, and so forth. As students are allowed
to explore the task on their own, please monitor on the attached
class roster (omitted from assignment due to confidentiality)
which number solution students seem to be following. If they are
using their own, use given probing questions and write down the
general nature of what they are attempting to do.
After the launch portion of the lesson is complete, have students
turn their desks around to face their group partners. We use this
method quite often, and students should know how to arrange
themselves. If they do not remember, have the first and third row
turn around to face the second and fourth row.
BEFORE giving supplies, explain to students that the white sheet
of paper has the problem written on it, and will be their
workspace. They will first solve the problem before moving on to
make their replacement spinner. When a student finished their
work, they must raise their hand to receive approval to make
their replacement spinner.
Once approval has been given by the instructor (student must
produce their own original work and have the appropriate answer
of 1/6, they may QUIETLY go to the back of the room and take a
spinner kit (3 pieces of paper, a spinner and a brass fastener)
and use their construction supplies (scissor and tape) to make
their spinner for Abdul.
Remind students that they are making the spinner that
represents the red, blue and green appropriate portions.

If a student fails to understand the task and is struggling(likely a

language barrier)
Have students reread the problem. Reread the problem to them
if you must
Revisit the T-chart.
Probe about common denominators
If the student fails to understand still, help them set up the
problem. Ask them how to set up a fraction. If they are really
struggling, they likely do not understand the language used in
the story problem. Assist them by giving them the fraction bars

and allowing them to fill in what they already know.

If a student completes the task early
Inform the student that their answer is in simplest form. Ask
them to come up with higher numbers that would still involve the
numbers given (have students replace numbers with higher ones
so that they are extending their understanding of both their
solution and simplest form)

DISCUSS (10 minutes)

After students have completed their replacement spinner, ask

them to share with their tablemates how they came up with their
solution. (These will likely be similar amongst the table mates,
but different amongst the table groupings)
Give students 2 minutes to share their solutions.
As you have monitored their solutions throughout the exploration
of the task, select three students who solved the problem in the
given ways: 1,2,3. Solution number 2 may not appear, so
attempt to find variability in strategy used in 1 or 3.
Select a student who has used solution number 1. Have them
share with the classroom. Have two students ask them
questions. Be really encouraging! They arent sharing because
they are wrong, but rather be very curious and interested in how
they solved it.
Select a student who used solution number 3. This is the
incorrect solution, where the student did not use a common
denominator. Have the student explain why they solved it the
way they did. Ask questions such as what can you tell me about
the denominator when adding fractions and does your picture
match your work?
To ensure class participation, draw sticks if no one is volunteering
a question during the share time. This ensures that all students
are participating and paying attention. It is also random and fair.
After three students have shared, ask students to make general
connections across the three strategies: What did all three
students do effectively to solve the problem? What did they do
different? How did your solution look like other students?

To finish the lesson

Revisit the T-chart from the beginning of the lesson.
Add another T and write,What I learned
Invite students to share what they learned about adding
fractions and their most effective strategies when making the
replacement spinner.
If students fail to offer their insight, point out some really great
things you noticed students doing such as I like the way ______
used a picture to solve the problem or I really thought that
_____ had a great way to do it. Could you, _______, tell us what
you learned by solving the problem that way?