Dear Parents of 3C,  About Amplify 

As we begin the new quarter, we enter our next math 

unit: Rational Numbers! We will begin with fractions, 
then progress to decimals, ratios, and finally, 
proportions. In order to support and add onto students’ 
mastery of this unit’s curriculum, we will be using two 
free math learning programs called ​Amplify Fractions 
(available online) and the ​Fractions App​ (available both 
online and as an app for tablets, iPads, etc). Amplify 
Fractions has sets of fun math lessons for each unit we 
have covered or will cover this quarter. The word 
problems and stories will reinforce lessons on fractions 
Amplify is an online company with 
that we have learned during class and are meant to act 
the purpose of collaborating with 
as supplements to the learning of the content 
educators to provide both core and 
objectives. The Fractions App will enhance visualization 
supplemental materials on math, 
of both unit and non-unit problems. 
ELA, CKLA (Content Knowledge 
 
Language Arts), and science for 
We will be using both occasionally in-class as part of 
K-8. They also have assessment 
the rotating stations of our math block for this unit. This 
and intervention services called 
exciting opportunity brings the classroom into your 
mClass, which are focused on 
home: It allows you, the parent(s), to see first-hand 
instruction that is designed for 
exactly what your child is working on! I encourage you 
promoting growth in the specific 
to set up your own Parent account and explore this fun, 
area (e.g. Reading, Math). They 
educational resource together with your child. If you 
pride themselves on basing their 
have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to 
services on a foundation of strong 
reach out to me. We look forward to implementing 
research. 
more interactive student technologies in the near 
future!  
 
-Ms. Lee​ ​Questions? Contact 
(123)456-7890 
leectt@bc.edu 
  
The first module our students will be using alongside our 
unit on fractions is ​Amplify Fractions​. Through the use of 
word problems, students are first introduced to fractions 
(basic division, unit and non-unit fractions, the number 
line), then are led through lessons in evaluating, 
comparing, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing 
fractions. Each course takes students through a lesson 
written around a narrated storyline and then has them 
complete a set of practice problems.  
 
As we aim to master rational numbers by the end of third   
grade, we are delighted to say that one of the major   
strengths of Amplify Fractions is their emphasis on  The progression of lessons in Amplify 
reinforcing the concept that a fraction is a ​part of a whole​.  Fractions are designed to build 
Proportions, ratios, and decimals all stem from this initial  foundational skills in a logical order, 
understanding, which is why we place the heart of our  one leading to the next. In this way, 
attention on this tool that will help students not only  Amplify accounts for any areas where 
understand what fractions are but ​how​ they work, which  students may be missing their 
empowers them to solve problems individually.   understanding. Your child will always 
  have access to previous lessons and 
For example, in the first  practice sets to reference as they 
lesson on Unit  move onto future lessons! 
Fractions, students are   
asked to create a  Overall, Amplify Fractions is a terrific 
fraction in which one  resource as the visual-audial storyline 
serving of lasagna can  encourages students to master the 
be shared (i.e. divided)  material and witness how the content 
equally between two  applies to ​real-life​ scenarios. This form 
monsters. This requires  of interactive technology moves 
students to break down  beyond the capabilities of a 
1 whole into two pieces,  worksheet, supporting students with 
designating ½ of the  guided Hints, Checks, and Reviews. 
lasagna to each monster. Throughout the lesson, the  Check it out at 
narrator reiterates the relationship between the name  https://amplify.com/programs/ampli
of the fraction, the original “total” (the ​whole​), and how  fy-fractions/​ today! 
into many ​parts​ the whole is being divided. 
Fractions App  As the user experience is much 
more independent than Amplify 
For our third grade students, this applet will quickly become a 
valuable resource and useful tool, especially for any students who 
Fractions, we will review 
benefit from visual representations of fractions. When opened, the  instructions on how to use the 
program reveals a number of features ready to be manipulated for  applet during class.  
optimal problem-solving! Your students can utilize the bar and pie   
graphs, assign how they should be divided and filled to reflect  The interactive nature of an app 
numerators and denominators, and write out their work to show their  such as this helps bond the 
thinking. And once we have a hold on fractions, a student can also  understanding of rational 
investigate the relationship between fractions and other part-whole  numbers with easy-to-use, 
systems such as decimals within the Fractions app!  easy-to-interpret images. Even 
  when the bar or pie graph 
Taking fraction word problems and reinterpreting them via the  prompts you to assign “How 
Fractions app will be one of the ways we will encourage students to  Many Parts” to divide the shape 
use the applet. Take, for example, a word problem such as “Ms. Lee  into, it reinforces the idea that 
handed out two full-size chocolate bars to Pablo and Sasha. After  fractions are x number of 
eating some chocolate, Pablo has 85 of his chocolate bar left, and his  equal-sized parts that make up 
friend Sasha gives him 82 of her chocolate bar to take home. How  one whole. Since visualization is 
much chocolate does Pablo have in total?”  a key part of what grounds 
  fractions in real-world learning, 
the Fractions app is definitely a 
  tool we will utilize in the 
  classroom, and we hope in the 
The red bars represent the numerators of Pablo’s fraction and the  home as well! 
green represent the numerators of Sasha’s fraction. Both are divided   
into equal denominators of 8 equal parts each.  The Fractions app can be found 
  for the iPad in the App Store or 
One of the ways students  online at 
can choose to solve the  https://www.mathlearningcente
problem is to fill in the first  r.org/resources/apps/fractions 
bar with two more colored 
 
rectangles (see left). They 
 
see that when they take five parts of a 
whole and add two parts of a whole of the same size and 
denominator, they are able to recognize that adding fractions 
fundamentally has to do with adding parts of wholes, aka fractions. 
Afterwards, they can double-check their answers with the Labels tab 
as seen on the right.