Math Lesson Plan Format

Grade Level: 4
th
grade

Topic (from Common Core State Standards): CCSS.Math.Content.4.NF.B.3a Understand
addition and subtraction of fractions as joining and separating parts referring to the same whole.

Rationale: Students must understand parts of a whole and be able to subtract or add from the
whole for use in everyday life.

Objective: Student will be able to use manipulatives to solve parts of a whole addition and
subtraction by representing their answer with a drawing of the blocks with their corresponding
fraction for each equation getting 8 out of 10 correct.

Focus/Review: Review the names of shapes from the pattern blocks if necessary. The teacher
will ask students to look at the blocks and see what they can determine about them. Students will
be allowed to explore the manipulatives for a few minutes making connections between the
items. The teacher will ask during exploration Can multiple blocks be used to make up one
hexagon?Can other blocks make up the other shape? After giving students approximately 5-
10 minutes to explore go over their findings. (Anticipated Response: Findings should be: a
trapezoid is 1/2 a hexagon; a diamond/rhombus is 1/3 a hexagon; and a triangle is 1/6 a
hexagon.)

Teacher Input: The teacher will show the students how to take the pattern blocks and use them
for adding and subtracting fractions. The teacher can show the students an example so they can
see how it works.
Write a problem on the board, like 3/6 + 1/6=__. Demonstrate for the students how to use
the pattern blocks to solve this problem. Create 3/6 with the green triangle pieces. Use the
yellow hexagon as 1 unit and put the triangles inside it. Then, create 1/6 out of the green triangle
pattern blocks. Take the two and show the students how to add them together. Use the 1/6 and
place the one green triangle on the first fraction to determine the sum, or show the kids how to
count all of the green triangles.
Then repeat this with subtraction, using an example like, 5/6-2/6=__. Then, create 5/6 with
the green triangles and then show them how to take away 2/3 of them. Also ask this question 1=
1/3+__. How can you find this answer? (Anticipated Response: 1/3+2/3=1 or 1-1/3=2/3)

Guided Practice: Each student will be given their own set of pattern blocks to use for todays
practice. Then each table group will create fraction problems like the ones used in teacher input.
Given a recording sheet they must create there problem, use the pattern blocks to solve and draw
under the equation the blocks they used and what they equal in the problem. Review the some
problems students created by allowing them to demonstrate how they found the answer.

Independent Practice: Students will be given a work sheet with ten problems with parts of a
whole addition and subtraction. They will use the manipulatives to solve the problem drawing a
picture representation of the blocks they used it must contain the fraction amount such as a
trapezoid shape would equal 1/2 so 1/2 should be written under the drawing of the trapezoid.
They should also explain how they arrived at the answer. Like before, the students will use the
yellow hexagon as a unit and fill them with the other shapes. [The teacher will walk around the
room to monitor the students work].

Closure: At the end of the lesson the teacher will collect the independent practice. The teacher
can review the concept by asking questions: How could I solve 1/2+1/3=__? Allow student to
help solve the problem. Then do 2/3+1/2=__. Have students share the ways they came up with to
solve the problem.

Evaluation/Assessment of Student Learning: The teacher will assess the students on the
worksheet they finished in their independent practice.
8-10: Student fully understands the topic
5-7: Student grasps the concept of the topic but does not fully understand.
4-6: Student understands a little bit about the topic.
3-: Student does not understand the topic.

Materials/Technology: A set of pattern blocks for each student as well as one worksheet for
each student.

Plans for Individual Differences:
Allow advanced students to go beyond the one whole fraction, the answer could create
two whole units or one whole unit and a part of another unit.
Give extra practice to struggling student perhaps including the use of different
manipulatives to represent the problem.

Standards for Mathematical Practice
1. Makes sense and perseveres in solving problems.
2. Reasons abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Constructs viable arguments and critiques the reasoning of others.
4. Models with mathematics.
5. Uses appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attends to precision.
7. Looks for and makes use of structure.
8. Looks for and expresses regularity in repeated reasoning.