Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
Investigations/Scott Foresman (2006)
Different Shapes, Equal Pieces
Investigation 1, Session 5: pp. 19-21
Investigation 2, Sessions 3 and 4: pp. 29-37
Investigation 3, Sessions 1 and 2, pp. 41-45
Loading StandardsStudents learn to create equivalent fractions between fifths and tenths (and then some other denominations) as a means to compare fractions of like denominators. This CYBERCHASE activity is motivated by an activity in which the CyberSquad needs to select a crystal with the largest possible orange-colored fraction.
60 minutes
Choosing the Most Orange Crystal QuickTime Video
Handout: Power Crystals from the Basketball Geode
Assessment: Level A
Assessment: Level B
Answer Key
1. Distribute the Handout: Power Crystals from the Basketball Geode , and ask students to try to complete it.
2. Tell the students that they will watch a video that shows an approach to the problems on the handout.
3. Read the following: "The CyberSquad needs to open a door. MotherBoard told them to break open the Basketball Geode, and choose the Power Crystal with the most orange color. Watch the video clip and consider how one can compare fractional parts, if the parts are not the same size or denominator. Would their method work in all cases?"
4. Show the Choosing the Most Orange Crystal QuickTime Video .
5. Discuss the students' approaches and those of the CyberSquad.
6. Discuss the answers to the question, "Would the CyberSquad's approach work in all cases?"
Assessment: Level A (proficiency): Students are given a series of fractions represented numerically and with circle diagrams, and are asked to generate equivalent numerical fractions and to modify the circle charts to represent the equivalent fractions (by adding line segments to divide the original segments).
Assessment: Level B (above proficiency): Students are asked to compare the sizes of pairs of fractions, and to generate representations that shows, for each pair, equivalent fractions with a common denominator.
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