Math Lesson Plan Using Jelly Beans and Graphing to Understand Fractions

Aim: By the end of the lesson the students should be able to answer the following question: How can we use graphing and jelly beans to understand fractions?

Grade: 5th

Concept: Using manipulatives to identify fractional parts of a whole.

Objectives: The students will be applying the knowledge of basic math facts and arithmetic operations to real-life situations. They will also gain a better understanding of what fractions are and how they can be found in the real world.

Assessment: The teacher will observe the students as they work through the lesson to assess for understanding. The handouts will also show if the students understood the concept behind the activities.

Concrete and Pictorial Materials:

1. Jelly Beans
2. Do-Now handout*
3. Challenging Problem handout*
4. Graph Paper
5. Pencils

* Handout questions supplied at end of lesson plan

Activities/Procedures:

1. The students will begin by completing their do now problems. The "do now" problem involves graphing. They will use their jelly beans to complete this task.
2. The teacher will go over the do now problems with the entire class.
3. The students will then use their graph and their jelly beans to determine what fraction certain colors represent individually. The students will then come together to determine what fraction the colors represent in a small group.
4. The teacher will go over the challenging problem. Volunteers from the class will be asked to describe how they got their answers.
5. If time allots, the students will determine, as a class, what fraction of all of the group's jelly beans is represented by certain colors.
6. The students will then be asked to discuss and answer the aim question of the day.

Questions To Help Students Think:
1. How did you get that answer?
2. Can you show me how you got that answer?
3. What does the bottom number of a fraction represent?
4. What does the top number of a fraction represent?
5. How many jelly beans do you have total?
6. How many green jelly beans do you have? Red/pink? Purple? Yellow?

Closure: Students will gather as a group to review the lesson and answer the aim questions as a means of reflection.