Clip 4/16: Adding and Subtracting Fractions Using a Line Plot Lesson Part 1C

Overview

Mallory calls her 5th-grade students back to the carpet, asking them to bring their line plots. She says, “I want to give you some review of what we just did before you work on your final presentation.” Mallory then asks various groups to share their approaches: one group decided to first put one-eighth, another student shares that because there are mixed fractions, “I already know there’s going to be a one in the middle.” Mallory asks students why they decided to present their data as eighths, and why one-fourth is equivalent to two-eighths. After the brief discussion, Mallory asks students to return to their groups and create their final presentations for their line plots.

Teacher Commentary

You’ll see that after my students work with each other on discovery, they come to the carpet and discuss, then more discovery, then come to the carpet and discuss. Because every time we break apart, they're going to go into questioning that's a little bit deeper and a little bit more challenging. I did not want them to just try to tackle the whole thing, because for a lot of kids, if you start them off, they may get the whole assignment wrong because of the fact that one layer is based off another layer or another question. Some of the students found it pretty easily, how to create one. But to understand why, and the purpose of it, was a little bit more challenging.