The Lesson Plan / Fifth Grade / Chapter 7

Objective: Adding and Subtracting Fraction with Alike Denominators Correctly
Motivation: Remind the students about the following definitions:
Fraction= division, dividing the numerator by the denominator= decimal
Denominator= the number, which is called denominator, tells us into how many pieces
1 whole has been divided into.
Numerator= the number, which is called numerator, tells us how many parts we will
be using from the pieces of the denominator.
Equivalent= equal value
Material: Pattern Blocks
Procedure: the students will be working in groups of three.

• I will demonstrate to my students how to build three congruent regular hexagon. One is divided into 8 congruent trapezoids, thus the denominator is 8. The second is divided into 12 congruent rhombus, thus the denominator is 12. The third is divided into 24 congruent and equilateral triangles, and here the denominator is 24.
• I will let each student within each group to choose his/her denominator, start writing fraction, ex: 1/8; 3/8; 5/8; 5/12; 7/12; 9/24; 11/24 and so on.
• Add any fraction, either with the same or different denominators. Write the your observations by answering the following question: does adding unlike denominator fractions give you the same part of the same hexagon, knowing that each one was divided into specific number of parts? Was adding fractions of the same denominator gave you the same hexagon? Explain.

• Subtract fractions following the same steps.

Questions to ask students: How many equivalent fractions can you obtain from these three different divisions?
Ending Activity: Students can divide a map, for example into congruent squares, so they can draw the same map easily.
Homework: practice book

The Four Story Building
At the beginning, I gave the block to my husband and I explained to him the rules and how he must create as many 4-story building as he can, with the use of 50 orange and 50 black blocks, with out repeating the same order of colors. He tried for about half an hour and all he could accomplish was 12 buildings and he didn't want to go any further. As for me, I built 18 buildings in an hour and half. I thought of a pattern, which is starting by entering the orange color on the black building one, by one, then two by two, then three. When I reached the orange building, I did the opposite. I entered the black blocks one by one, two by two, then three -of course without repeating the same stories. Observe the picture from right to left.


The Changing Colors Rectangle
I took the "brain teaser" with me to school, where I teach and I gave it to two of my students to try it. One is an eighth grader with a B+ level, who did it in less than 3 minutes. The second one was an ADHD fifth grader. He has a good observation, quick answer to tricky questions, and gave up easily. He tried it for about 7 minutes. At first he moved correctly four steps, but then he lost it and he couldn't go back and start from the beginning. He had hard time remembering his own steps. At home, I gave it to my two sons. Anas, who is in third grade he did it in less than 5 minutes and he was able to remember his steps without any mistake. I was impressed. Aassem, who is in 9th grade, in honor classes, he tried for about an hour, giving up sometime and go back to it, then he was able to switch the colors with respect to the rules. But, he didn't want to do it again.