Topic: Introducing Deci-Blocks

Big Ideas: Attributes of objects and shapes can be used to predict special relationships. Reason and use logic to explore fractions. Materials: Deci-blocks, templates, SMARTBOARD Notebook Gallery o Grade Level(4-6) Lesson Ideas:

1. Share Learning Intention: Explore the properties of Deci-Blocks: I can pay attention to the math I am learning. There are fractions of a whole and fractions of a set. Today we are exploring fractions of a whole.

2. Warm-up or review of concepts: Introduce shapes from SMARTBOARD EXCHANGE. What do you notice/wonder/think? Space Station game. Select a deci-block to be placed on the space station. Continue around the room until no more blocks can be placed on the space station. The player who places the last block on the Space Station loses the game. Then introduce the pattern blocks to the game.

3. Activity with many levels of entry introduced and practiced: Arrange the blocks in order of size. Smallest block first. Explain how you arranged the blocks. If the green triangle is 1 square unit how many units is the blue rhombus. Come to the understanding of DECI (10)How can you determine the area… How do you know when you’ve determined all ways? Now how would you arrange them according to their heights, from shortest to longest? Be careful here!

Why might I ask you to remove the orange square and tan rhombus before we move on with our work?

4. Establish Criteria for success: You will know you fully understand the math of Deci-blocks when you: ……build with student responses; posting visually

5. Activity continued: Have students create a design or game board and replicate with triangular grid paper or the deci-block template.

Which block represents ONE? Turn and listen to your partner’s explanation. Explore fractions.

6. Reflection: Self assessment based on criteria and learning intention.

7. Ticket out the door: Question that links to the learning intention: Which block represented …..? How many blue trapezoids create a hexagon?

Lesson Review: o Did I connect the concept to previous experiences? o Did I provide individual choice? o Was there an open-ended task? o Was it possible to enter the task from a variety of levels? o Was time provided for ‘Turn and Talk’ for sharing of strategies and perspectives? YOUTUBE : DECI-Block Fractions Part 3 (excellent 5 minute clips to introduce math concepts with the deci-blocks.)

By adding in Deci-blocks we can now represent all the fractions. Before we were limited to the 4 shapes excluding the tan trapezoid and the orange square.

1. Define deci – recognize the power of 10 in the part/part/whole models of the combined deci/pattern block pieces.

2. Line up all the blocks in order: How many ways can you show ½ of a fraction piece? Using pattern and deci blocks can you show ½?

CORE LEARNING: two congruent pieces make 1 whole. The whole can be made up of different sized fraction pieces. One of two equal parts of a whole. The denominator tells the number of equal parts of a whole and the numerator how many.

3. Try with the 10 piece. Show all the fractions. Use the pink block which is 5 units (5 square units l x w ) Cover ½ with the pink block and the other 1/2 with the trapezoid and blue rhombus.

Pentagon has an area of seven square units. The green triangle is 1/7th of this piece. Can ½ of the pentagon be covered? Are there other shapes which cannot be ½ covered?

Unit 4 – Fractions are Fabulous. Decimals are Dynamite! Big Math Ideas: Mathematicians know there are fractions of a whole and fractions of a set.

Division and fractions are related concepts. When we share a single thing among many, we create a fractional part; when we share a group of things, we create or describe a fraction of a set.

Fractions can be reduced or expanded. We call these equivalent fractions.

We can create and build equivalent fractions using materials.

Knowing our multiples and our factors helps us to recognize and create equivalent fractions.

Fractions that have 10 or 100 as a denominator can be converted into decimals. They have the same name as their fractional friends: “tenths” or “hundredths”.

Fractions and decimals can be represented, described, compared and ordered, added and subtracted just like whole numbers.

Money is a common application of decimal numbers. It helps to think about money when we operate on decimals! Carole Fullerton 2012