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PROBE 2

Understanding Fractions: 4
th
Grade










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Group Members: Karla Singh, Jose Bautista, Maria Elena Noel-Flores, and Erica Roque
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The Sullivans have 3 children. Each morning they have their favorite cereal for breakfast. Cindy
has 1/8 of the box of cereal. Johnny has of the box of cereal. Skylar pours herself of the box
of cereal.
What fraction of the whole box of cereal do the children eat in all every morning? Look at the
following answers, decide who solved the word problem correctly and explain your answer.
1. Tyler solves the problem by adding the numerator and the denominator straight across:

Is this correct?_______
Explain:_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Pepe used a pie chart to solve the problem, he started by dividing a circle into 8 equal
parts as shown in the figure below, and assigned each person part of the pie as follows:


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Group Members: Karla Singh, Jose Bautista, Maria Elena Noel-Flores, and Erica Roque
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Is this correct?_______
Explain:_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Then, he thought of a different approach and drew the box of cereal dividing it as follows: half
the box for Skyler; the remaining cereal he divided by 4 and assigned to Johnny; the rest he
divided by 8 and assigned 1/8 to Cindy. Is this approach correct?









Skylar
Johhny
Cindy

Explain_____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________
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3. Using 8 counters Timmy came up with the following answer:
4. First he took half of them (4) and assigned them to Skylar.




Skylar

From the the remaining four, he assigned 1counter for Johhny since Johnny ate 1/4 of the cereal.
From the remaining three he assigned one to Cindy, since in total there are eight counters, and
Cindy ate 1/8 of the cereal.
Is this correct?_______
Explain:_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

5. Arlene used Cuisenaire rods (see figure below), and noticed the length in cm each rod
had:

Brown = 8
Green = 6
Purple = 4
Red = 2
Blue = 1

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She started making the brown rod equal the height of the box of cereal. Then she noticed that
based on the heights, he purple rod = the brown rod, the red rod = the height of the brown
rod, and the red rod = 1/8 the height of the brown rod.
The, since Skylar ate half of it, she assigned Skylar the purple rod as follows:












And then assigned Johnny the red rod:















Then, since Cindy ate 1/8 of the cereal, she was assigned the blue rod = 1/8 the height of the
brown rod.






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Then she put them all next to the brown rod and noted the difference:
















Is this correct?_______
Explain:_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Since it appeared that the stack of rods needs one more blue rod to equal
the height of the brown rod, she thinks that 1/8 is what is left in the box.
Then, they must eat:
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Grade Level for Comparing and Ordering Fractions and Percentages

Questioning for Student Understanding

Are students able to use visual models and equivalent forms to add commonly used fractions?

Uncovering Understandings

Building Numbers Content Standard: Numbers and Operations

TEKS (expectations)

111.6. Grade 4, Adopted 2012.
(3) Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process standards to represent
and generate fractions to solve problems. The student is expected to:


(B) decompose a fraction in more than one way into a sum of fractions with the same
denominator using concrete and pictorial models and recording results with symbolic
representations;

(C) determine if two given fractions are equivalent using a variety of methods;

(E) represent and solve addition and subtraction of fractions with equal denominators
using objects and pictorial models that build to the number line and properties of
operations;

(F) evaluate the reasonableness of sums and differences of fractions using benchmark
fractions 0, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1, referring to the same whole;


NCTM (expectations)

Standard: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers,
and number systems
Grades 35 Expectations: I n grades 35 all students should
Grades K -2 3-5 6-8 9-12

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recognize equivalent representations for the same number and generate them by decomposing
and composing numbers;
develop understanding of fractions as parts of unit wholes, as parts of a collection, as locations
on number lines, and as divisions of whole numbers;
use models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to judge the size of fractions;
recognize and generate equivalent forms of commonly used fractions, decimals, and percents;

Standard: Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.
Grades 35 Expectations: I n grades 35 all students should

develop and use strategies to estimate computations involving fractions and decimals in
situations relevant to students' experience;
use visual models, benchmarks, and equivalent forms to add and subtract commonly used
fractions and decimals;

Examining Student Work
.

The correct answer is Arlene, students that agree with her understand that simple
fractions can be taken apart and recombined in rational ways. They are not purely relying
on an algorithm to explain their answer and are comfortable comparing the lengths of the
three fractions using the rods and combining them in order to solve for the problem
correctly.

*Distracter* If students choose Pepes answer, they are not yet able to compare fractions.
In his case he drew three separate fractions and assumed that 1/8 and 1/4 were equivalent
on the pie chart and assumed 1/8 and could be combined to make up the missing half
of the whole.

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Group Members: Karla Singh, Jose Bautista, Maria Elena Noel-Flores, and Erica Roque
Draft #2


Pepes approach to dividing the box in rectangular form is also wrong. Although he
correctly divided the first part in half, the rest of his divisions were based on the
remaining cereal without taking into account the original cereal. Thus, he divided of
the cereal into 4 for the portion Johnny ate, which equal 1/16 of the complete box and not
. He did the same for Cindys part.

*Distracter* If students choose Timmys answer, they are having difficulty
understanding the physical representation of fractions. In Timmys case students are
distorting the fractions.
*Distracter* Tylers answer shows an example of students treating numerators and
denominators as separate whole numbers. They do not have a clear understanding of the
fact that fractions represent parts of a whole. The numerator tells the number of parts
while the denominator tells the type of parts that are to be added.

Seeking Cognitive Links
One of the most persistent problems for children with mathematical difficulties is solving
problems involving fractions (as cited in Hecht & Vagi, 2010, p. 1)

Many students understanding of fractions is characterized by knowledge of rote procedures,
often which are incorrect, rather than by the concepts underlying the procedures (Isiksal &
Cakiroglu, 2010, p.1)


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We decided on using different models to see if students were able to understand fractions using
many approaches. If students are able to understand fractions through all of the different models
then they should have concrete knowledge on fractions. To challenge and extend student
understanding, multiple contexts and representations should be used to develop flexible
interpretations and consolidate understanding of fractions (Jigyel & Afamasaga-Fuata'I, 2007,
p.25)

Jigyel & Afamasaga-Fuata'I (2007) conducted a study that validated some misconceptions of
students. When asked about what picture represented 2/5 the students had some trouble with it.
Conceptually, these students interpreted 2/5 as representing two unrelated whole numbers, not
as a partwhole relationship, and appeared not to have developed any deeper understanding of
pictorial and numerical representations beyond their visual spatial features. (Jigyel &
Afamasaga-Fuata'I, 2007, p.19)
When showed pie charts of 2/3 and 4/6 some students concluded that these models were
not the equal. In contrast, incorrect explanations indicate that some students view fractions
additively as two unrelated whole numbers, where more pieces means the two areas, and
therefore fractions are different. (Jigyel & Afamasaga-Fuata'I, 2007, p.22)


MTED 5324
Group #3
Group Members: Karla Singh, Jose Bautista, Maria Elena Noel-Flores, and Erica Roque
Draft #2


Responses showed some students perceive the numerator and denominator as two separate,
unrelated whole numbers, which subsequently led to misconceptions when comparing area and
numerical representations of equivalent fractions. (Jigyel & Afamasaga-Fuata'I, 2007, p.24)



Reference for Research and Teaching Implications
Jigyel, K., & Afamasaga-Fuata'i, K. (2007). Students' conceptions of models of fractions and
equivalence. Australian Mathematics Teacher, 63(4), 17-25.
Hecht, S. A., & Vagi, K. J. (2010). Sources of Group and Individual Differences in Emerging
Fraction Skill. Journal Of Educational Psychology, 102(4), 843-859.
doi:10.1037/a0019824
Isiksal, M., & Cakiroglu, E. (2011). The Nature of Prospective Mathematics Teachers'
Pedagogical Content Knowledge: The Case of Multiplication of Fractions.
Journal Of Mathematics Teacher Education, 14(3), 213-230.
MTED 5324
Group #3
Group Members: Karla Singh, Jose Bautista, Maria Elena Noel-Flores, and Erica Roque
Draft #2


National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (n.d.). Numbers and operations. Retrieved from
http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=7564
Texas Education Agency, (2012). Mathematics texas essential knowledge and skills. Retrieved
from website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147499971