LESSON PLAN OUTLINE

JMU Elementary Education Program

Evelyn Payne
Carrie Lillard, 4th grade, Mountain View Elementary School
March 17th, 2017 8:50 to 10am
February 27th, 2017

A. Comparing Fractions and Decimals/Math Lesson

B. CONTEXT OF LESSON
Though I was not able to do a pre-assessment for the students in preparation of this lesson, the
students have been working with these concepts throughout the year. The students were introduced to,
and have been working with place value, since the beginning of the school year. For the past three
weeks, students have been working on forming fractions and comparing a series of fractions to one
another. This particular lesson fits into the curriculum sequence nicely, because it builds on students
prior knowledge of place value and fractions and then expands their thinking to decimals and the
relationship between decimals and fractions. This lesson also aligns with 4.2 section a. and 4.3
sections a. and c. of the Virginia fourth grade math SOLs.

C. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand
Students will understand how to form
their own decimals and fractions
using tenths and hundredths charts.
Students will understand how to
compare fractions and decimals.
Know
1. Students will know how to
create fractions.
2. Students will know how to
create decimals.
3. Students will know how to
compare fractions and
decimals on the same
number line.
Do
1. Students will use fifths,
tenths, and hundredths charts
to create visual
representations of fractions.
2. Students will use fifths,
tenths, and hundredths charts
to create visual
representations of decimals.

4. Students will know that 3. Students will organize, from

decimals and fractions are least to greatest, a set of
related to each other. eleven decimals and fractions
on a number line.

D. ASSESSING LEARNING
1. To assess objectives 1 and 2: Each student will be responsible for going through the list of fractions
and decimals that I provided and create visual representations of those using charts on their own.
Students will write down each fraction or decimal next to the corresponding chart and shade in the
appropriate amount. I will observe the students as they create their charts and look at the charts to
assess how well they achieved learning objectives 1 and 2. (Individual Assessment)
2. To assess learning objective 3: Students will compare eleven decimals and fractions using their
visual representations they created in learning objective 1 and 2. They will then place each of the
eleven on a number line, ranging from zero to one, in least to greatest order individually. Students will
be assessed based on understanding and ability when ordering the fractions and decimals. I will check
their number lines for correctness to assess learning. (Individual Assessment)
E. RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING (and NATIONAL STANDARDS if required)
4.2 The student will
a) compare and order fractions

4.3 The student will

a) read, write, represent, and identify decimals expressed through thousandths
c) compare and order decimals

F. MATERIALS NEEDED
Worksheets (attached below): Evelyn Payne
Pencils: Students
Colored Pencils: Students
White board: Carrie Lillard
Expo Marker: Carrie Lillard

G. PROCEDURE
BEFORE:
Hello boys and girls. Today we are going to be discussing decimals and fractions. We will be
looking at how to form them using fifths, tenths, and hundredths charts and then will we be
working on comparing them together. Before we start the lesson, I want to discuss place value
since it is an important part of this lesson. Written on a white board, I will have the number .
123. Each digit will be underlined in a different color. Does anyone know what place value the
1 is in?

Students have already covered place value, so they should say; The one is in the tenths place.
The students could also refer to it as the tens place, but if that is the case then I will correct them
and remind them that the TENS place is different from the TENTHS place. I will label, on the
white board, the tenths place.

Correct, the 1 is in the tenths place. What place is the 2 in?

Students have already covered place value, so they should say; The two is in the hundredths
place. The students could also refer to it as the hundreds place, but if that is the case then I will
correct them and remind them that the HUNDREDS place is different from the HUNDRETHS
place. I will label, on the white board, the hundredths place.

Correct, the 2 is in the hundredths place. What place is the 3 in?

Students have already covered place value, so they should say; The three is in the thousandths
place. The students could also refer to it as the thousands place, but if that is the case then I will
correct them and remind them that the THOUSANDS place is different from the
THOUSANDTHS place. I will label, on the white board, the thousandths place.

Correct, the 3 is in the thousandths place. I will have another white board with the fraction
on it, as well as a visual representation of the fraction. Lets review the parts of a fraction. What
does the denominator represent? What does the numerator represent?

Students have spent the past four weeks working with fractions so they should say, The
denominator represents the total number of equal parts an item is divided into and the numerator
is the number of parts of the whole. Students could get numerator and denominator confused,
and I will correct them if thats the case.

Awesome job everyone. Both fractions and decimals are part of a whole. Now that we reviewed
some important terms, we are going to move onto the lesson.
I will pass out a worksheet with a couple of fifths, tenths, and hundredths charts on it. Each
of these charts is similar in that they are the same size. However, some are divided into a
different number of equal parts. Lets look at the fourth one which is divided into 10 equal
parts. Write the fraction 2/10 next to the chart. How could you use this chart to represent
2/10?

The students should say that, If you shade in two of the parts, that gives you the fraction
2/10. REPRESENTATION

Exactly! The entire chart is divided into 10 equal parts, so that is going to be the
denominator. Since the numerator is 2, we only want to shade in 2 parts out of the total 10.
Next lets look at the eighth box. This box is divided into 10 equal parts as well. Write the
decimal .2 next to it. What place value is the 2 in?

Since we just reviewed place value, students should say; The 2 is in the tenths place.

The 2 is in the tenths place, which is why we are using a chart that is divided into 10 equal
parts. Can you all make a guess as to how many boxes we are going to shade in to represent .
2?

Hopefully the students will say, Shading in 2 boxes will represent .2. However, they may
not have made that connection yet. If students struggle with this question, I will say; The
number 2 in .2 represents the part of the whole, just like the numerator from the first box we
shaded in. Now, how many boxes do you think we are going to shade in? Students should
understand at this point that it is 2.

Good job everyone! So shading in 2 parts of a box divided into 10 parts represents the
decimal .2. Do you all notice anything similar about the two charts we just completed? The
students should compare the two boxes and notice that they look exactly the same. They look
the same, meaning that 2/10 and .2 are equal to each other.

Lets look at the third box, which is divided into 100 equal parts. We are going to show a
chart for another decimal. Looking at this particular chart, what place value do you think our
decimal will end at?

I am hoping that the students will make the connection that a box divided into 10 represents
tenths and that a box divided into 100 represents hundredths. Students should say, Our
decimal will end at the hundredths place, since the box is divided into a hundred equal parts.
Students may not see this connection.

If they dont, I will say; Okay, lets write it like a fraction. What would the denominator be?
Students should know that the denominator is 100. If we shade in 30 parts of the 100, what
would our numerator be? Students should know that the numerator is 30. Lets write that
fraction down together next to the box. Looking at this fraction, the denominator tells us our
place value. If the denominator is 10, the box will be divided into 10 equal parts. If the
denominator is 100, the box will be divided into 100 equal parts. The numerator, or the
number of parts we shaded in, represents the actual digits in the decimals. So, what decimal
does this box represent? Students recognize that this box represents the decimal .30.
PROBLEM SOLVING

Do you all think that 30/100 and .30 are equal to each other? Hopefully the students will
understand that they are equal. If they say no, then I will have them use the last hundredths
chart to create a representation for .30. Once they do that, they will compare the 30/100
representation to the .30 representation and see they look exactly the same.
 DURING:
I will pass out a number line worksheet, another worksheet with various fractions and
decimals on it, and at least three worksheets with the different number charts on it.

Now that I have done a few examples with you all, I want you to do some practice on your
own. Use the boxes to make visual representations for each of the following decimals and
fractions. Make sure you write the fraction or the decimal next to each visual representation so
you remember which one is which. Once you do that, you are going to compare them to one
another. Boxes that seem to have a larger shaded section or are going to be greater than the
boxes that seem to have smaller shaded in sections. Based on your comparisons, you are going
to order them on the number line I gave you. The number line goes from zero to one. I will be
here to answer any questions you have.

Students should begin to draw and order the fractions and decimals from least to greatest. If
students are struggling, I will help them myself or allow them to work in pairs. I also have a
set of five decimals and fractions that are all in the tenths that I can have them work with first
before they try the original eleven. For students that seem to be excelling and need a little
more challenge, I will give them some fractions and decimals that go into the thousandths.
REASONING AND PROOF

AFTER:
If you have not finished ordering the fractions and the decimals, thats okay. I want to take
some time to think about comparing decimals and fractions. Did anyone notice something
about the 9/10 and the .9? COMMUNICATION

The goal of this question is for students to recognize that 9/10 and .9 are equivalent to one
another. Students could say, Both pictures for the 9/10 and the .9 looked exactly the same! I
will say, Yes they do look the same. What do you suppose this means? Students will make
the connection and say, That means that they are equal to each other. I will say, So how did
you put both on your number line if they are equal to each other? Students could have
different ways they put both on the number line, like stacking the two numbers or writing one
above the number line and one beneath it, but sharing the same tick mark.

If I were to give you a random fraction or decimal, would you all feel comfortable using
these boxes to make a representation of it? Hopefully, students will say yes. The answer to
this question will help show if the students achieved the learning objectives or not. If students
say that they dont feel like they could do it on their own; then I will say, For extra practice,
you can finish ordering the fractions and decimals I gave you from least to greatest later on.
The concepts we went over today, Mrs. Lillard will cover in the future. You dont need to be
perfect at this, because you will have lots of chances to practice in the future.

Thank you all for letting me do this lesson with you. You may now switch to the next station.
You can set your worksheets at your desks.

H. DIFFERENTIATION
For students that seem to be excelling at this lesson and need less practice making fractions and
decimals, they can move onto ordering the fractions and decimals from least to greatest before the
other students. I will also be prepared to introduce decimals that involve the thousandths place if I feel
the particular student is ready for it. For students who seem to be struggling with this lesson, it will be
a small group so I will be there to work one on one with them. Together, we will work on forming and
recognizing fractions and decimals together until I feel they are totally prepared for comparing the two
and ordering them. They will not be expected to completely finish the worksheet, as long as they
attempted it. If they are still struggling, I will allow them to order the decimals and fractions in pairs in
order to work together. I also have attached a second and third list of fractions and decimals. The first
is the set everyone will receive at first. The second will be for students who need a bit more of a
 challenge. The third is a smaller set of fractions and decimals using only fractions and decimals in the
tenths for students who are struggling and need more help.

I. NCTM STANDARDS
For the problem solving section of the NCTM standards, students will demonstrate this by using what
I taught during the implementation of the lesson and working through a series of decimals and
fractions on their own in order to list them on a number line from least to greatest. For reasoning and
proof, students will be expected to justify their number line order using the squares, split into tens and
hundreds, from the implementation portion of the lesson. This will better help them recognize the
pattern and relationship between fractions and decimals. For the representation section of the NCTM,
students will be using pictures, numbers, symbols, and line graphs in order to write and display
decimals and fractions. For the connections section of the NCTM standards, students will be working
with their prior knowledge on fractions, decimals, and place value to recognize the connection
between both decimals and fractions. For the communication portion of the NCTM standards, students
in the small group will use mathematical language and vocabulary to talk through decimals and
fractions as all as to discuss how they solved each problem.

https://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Standards_and_Positions/PSSM_ExecutiveSummary.pdf

J. REFLECTION

While actually implementing my lesson, there were a few changes that I made from my lesson
plan. During the Before section of my lesson plan, I said that I was going to have the students create
a visual representation of .30 with me. I ended up changing that decimal to .40, since it was easier to
visually see the difference between the .40 chart and the .2 chart. This ties into another change I made
while teaching. Before the students moved onto the during portion of the lesson where they had to
create visual pictures of all of the decimals and fractions and then compare them to place them on a
number line, I had planned on just giving them verbal directions on how to do this. I decided that those
directions were not clear enough, and I wanted to model exactly how the students would compare the
various fractions and decimals. To do this, I had students look at both charts of .40 and .2 during the
before section and together we determined which on was the greatest based on the shaded in section.
I chose .40 because it was easier for the students to see that that one was the greater decimal then it
would have been to compare .30 and .2. The only other slight change I had was that my lesson plan
had left room for students who would use but confuse the various mathematical vocabulary words,
such as tenths, hundredths, and thousandths. Out of all three groups, none of them confused these
words so my lesson dialogue was pretty straightforward.

Overall, I think I had a pretty significant impact on student learning. I have gotten to see
students compare fractions using cross multiplying and least common multiple, but not using pictures
or fifths, tenths, and hundredths charts. One student in the second group made a comment about how
they did not know how to use these visual representations to compare fractions and decimals. I told
him that that is exactly why we were doing this lesson, and that it would give them yet another tool in
their math toolbox that they could employ when they were taking a standardized test and a question
asked them to compare various fractions and decimals. I also think I had an impact on students
recognizing the connection between fractions and decimals. These particular students had apparently
covered decimals early on in their year, but had moved onto fractions by my second week there and
had never combined the two concepts. Students understood the idea of place value, but I think this
lesson really helped them to see why these fractions and decimals are in the tenths and hundredths
place and what that looks like. The evidence that I have to support these claims is from students
verbal responses, their shading in of the charts, and their number lines. Students were able to verbalize
how shading in two boxes out of ten in a tenths chart creates the fraction 2/10. I watched as every
student shaded in the various charts, and everyone seemed comfortable and able to perform this task.
Only one student out of the three groups had time to complete the entire number line, and just about
every number was correct; with the exception of the student not recognizing that 4/5 and .8 were
equivalent which we talked about together to correct.

One way that I believe I could have used better developmentally appropriate practice would be
through specific feedback. Once students started the during portion of the lesson plan, almost every
person in each group was on a different decimal or fraction. I found it a little hard to bounce from
student to student to offer specific feedback. Instead of saying good job or try doing that problem one
more time, I wanted to offer feedback that specifically complemented what the particular student was
doing well or offered them a correction that would lead them to the correct answer. It was difficult to
watch each student in each group complete the charts and number line and then give each of them
different feedback. However, I do think I improved on this as the groups progressed. If I were to teach
this lesson again, I would definitely pay more attention to the feedback I offered to the students as they
completed the number line.

If I was the classroom teacher, I would have the students use other manipulatives and pictures
to show representations of decimals and fractions. I rarely see students use manipulatives in math
class. Having students learn a variety of ways to compare fractions and decimals will help to appeal to
each different type of learner in the classroom. In order to do this, I would have a wide variety of
manipulatives for the students to choose from and let them create fractions and decimals with a partner
to share ideas. I would also progress to students working with decimals and fractions in the
thousandths. Only one student, during the last group, asked for the worksheet that included numbers in
the thousandths. However, I feel as if almost all of the students are ready to take that next step and
tackle fractions and decimals in the thousandths. On a smaller scale, I would have the student work
more with number lines. Some of the students during this lesson, as well as observations I have made
when conducting my math interview, have shown difficulty when working with number lines. Number
lines will show up on the SOLs and in other math classes. Students should get comfortable with using
these number lines and building their understanding of them. In order to cover this concept, I would
model the appropriate use of a number line in multiple real world situations and mathematical
questions. I would then gradually move the lesson towards the students using them on their own.

This lesson has reinforced the idea for me that students are very creative and diverse learners.
Even just from discussing what the numerator and the dominator mean in a fraction, each group
offered such different answers. Though all of the answers were correct, it was so interesting to hear
how the different students verbalized math concepts in their own words. This lesson also reinforced
that students can be reluctant when learning new/foreign concepts. Some of the students were
apprehensive when the lesson moved on from the before to the during section. They doubted
whether they could visually represent fractions and decimals on their own. For students who were
apprehensive, I offered them extra encouragement and feedback to get them started. Students need to
be encouraged that learning new topics is not impossible or scary if you just take it one step at a time
and try your best.

This lesson has reinforced the importance of the teacher modeling new concepts for students
before releasing them to try it on their own. Though some of the students in each group probably could
have created visual representations of the fractions and decimals without the discussion portion at the
before section of the lesson, many of the students really benefitted from me modeling and working
through the representations with them. It is very important for teachers to model new concepts and
ideas in all subject areas so that students know how to tackle them appropriately. This lesson also
helped me to learn how important it is for teachers to differentiate their lessons. Though only one
student asked for the worksheet with fractions and decimals in the thousandths; if I had not been
prepared and not had that ready to go, I would have become flustered and not appropriately challenged
that student. Teachers need to be prepared for every different ability level so that they can connect the
curriculum to each student in an equitable way.

This lesson helped me to learn that I need to be more confident in my teaching. This was the
lesson that I was formally observed on by Dr. Bodle. He told me that during the first group I sat up
straight and kept my distance from the students. By the second and third group, he said was I leaning
into the students, pointing out things on their papers, and being more hands on with them. He told me
he could literally see my confidence level rise as the groups progressed. I need to have more
confidence in myself as a teacher so that I can be the most effective teacher as possible for my future
students. I also learned that I am capable of teaching math. I have never considered myself to be a
math person. Learning math scares me, let alone having to actual teach it to other people. This
lesson helped to calm my worries and show me that I can teach students math.
Please order the following fractions and decimals
on the number line from least to greatest.
For students who need more of a challenge
For students who need more remedial help