Fractions: Divided into Equal Parts

There are so many elements of living that are divided into equal parts, elements such as time, measurement, money, music, and more. Tomorrow as students and I dive into the fraction unit, we'll begin the discussion with a few questions:

• What objects and elements of life are divided into equal parts?
• Why would we divide time, measurement, and money into equal parts--why not random parts?

Then I'll say that one way to think about and talk about those equal parts is fractions. For example when we consider a whole hour, we can consider its parts such as 1/2 an hour, one quarter or 4th of an hour, a third or an hour, or even one sixtieth of an hour. 

After that short introduction, the students will examine a number of fraction bars and the language we use to discuss fractions. Students will make models of differing fraction amounts and then look for what they notice about fractions in addition to what they know already. As students learn together, I'll be able to assess the class's general knowledge of the topic, and that assessment will inform the following lessons and direction of the unit.