Decimal Fractions

Alice Parr
Grade 5
These activities are to increase the understanding of adding and subtracting decimal fractions
Oregon Math Standard
5.1 Number and Operations and Data Analysis: Develop an understanding of and fluency with
addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals.
5.1.2 Use decimal models, place value, and number properties to add and subtract decimals (to
the thousandths).
5.1.3 Select and use appropriate strategies to estimate fraction and decimal sums and
differences.
5.1.4 Develop fluency with efficient procedures for adding and subtracting fractions and
decimals and justify why the procedures work.
5.1.5 Solve problems involving the addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals.
Assessment
Most of the assessment can be done by checking the journals that the students will have as well
as observation, and quick practice sheets given at the end of the day to see if we need to focus
more on certain concepts. The students are also given practice sheets to work on for 10
minutes of class time and turn in what they have completed. This allows the teacher to see
what the students understand and if they may need extra one on one attention.






Activity One
Comics from Scratch (Cary, 2004)
Materials Needed
Comics for modeling
Comic templates in different sizes one panel up to 6
Pencils, Crayons, and Markers
Background: My classroom has been taught the basic concepts of adding and subtracting
decimal fractions. We have worked in small groups, we have worked as big groups and the
students have been learning and remembering keeping place value but we need a little more
practice when it comes to the concept of 1.9 plus 1.1 and changing that to 3.0.
Comics have been a fun and inclusive learning tool that my classroom has been using. We have
interactive journals where students can paste their favorite comics and talk about them and can
either share them with me as their teacher or their peer buddies. The students spend the last
part of the day on Friday making their own comics and this is no different except that is a math
comic. These could be funny jokes, proud moments, or a story problem in comic form, they
could be simple single panel or multiple panels. I would also like the students to write
something about their comic to put into their journals.
Instruction: I will start out sharing comics on the overhead and showing students several
examples of math comics that include the use of money to show the concept as previously
stated. I will then post a blank comic template on the overhead and ask for volunteers to help
me make a class comic. After we have completed our class comic I will put several blank comic
templates at the front of the class. The students can then work on their comics and I will walk
around the classroom checking to see, they will also be given an option to help their neighbors
and work in small groups.
Annotation: I like the idea of giving students a chance to be creative with learning math. I also
think it is necessary to provide arts and crafts time in such a busy classroom. I chose this
activity because I think it provides valuable practice as well as an opportunity for students to be
creative.



Example Comics




Comic Templates













Activity 2
How Many Miles to School
Materials Needed
Maps, either paper or access to the computer
Pencils, Paper for calculations
One Large Map for the class to mark their birth towns
Background: My class also contains many ELL students and I want to make them feel important
in the classroom and that their heritage is important to all of us.
Instructions: We would start the project by figuring the distance from the school to noticeable
shops in the city. I would have previously mapped our school and the locations that the
students might choose. For example I would figure the mileage from the library to the school,
the store to the school, the park to the school. I would then write down the mileages on the
board and add them with the students. After this we would move up to major cities to our
school with the mileage I have already looked up. I would then ask the students about their
birth cities and write them down. We would then find the mileage and figure out who was
born the closest to school, who was born the farthest away, who was born in what state and so
on.
The students will be broken into smaller groups to continue working together to figure out how
far given destinations are.
The end result would be an added mileage of all the students and how many miles they have
come to be at our school. The students would then write about the activity in their journals.
Annotation: This reminds me of using money to teach students decimals but also reminds me
how important it is to provide real world examples of math outside of school. I think this is a
relatable activity that students can enjoy as it directly involves them and their little world.






Activity 3
Decimal Bingo (Edubakery, 2013)
Materials Needed:
Bingo Cards
Bingo questions
Place markers for bingo cards
Background: The students have done well with learning the addition of decimal fractions
including remembering to change the place values correctly when they go over .99. Now its
time to work on subtraction. The students have been working with play money manipulatives
and have done quite well with regrouping to the tenths place. However they still need practice
on subtraction and remembering how to regroup.
Instructions: Each student gets a decimal bingo card. They have their scratch paper ready and
they must calculate along with the teacher to be able to cover their card. The teacher calls out
the given subtraction equations using decimals and the students then use the scratch paper to
figure it out. The teacher then writes the equation on the board and asks for volunteers to give
the answers. The students mark the place on their card until someone gets Bingo.

Annotations: I chose bingo as a fun activity because it really engages students and it helps to
focus on the concepts at hand. It reminds me of the games we played in class and how much
more engaging it was to be practicing in the form of a game rather than a practice sheet.









Works Cited
Cary, S. (2004). Going Graphic Comics at Work i the Multilingual Classroom. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinermann.
Edubakery. (2013). Retrieved from http://edubakery.com/Bingo-Cards/Fraction-to-Decimal-Bingo-v1-
Bingo-Cards