Lesson 5

The purpose of this lesson is for students to extend their understanding of whole numbers on the number line as they work with number lines partitioned into fractions.

Previously, students used fraction strips to make sense of unit and non-unit fractions. In grade 2, they represented whole numbers on the number line. In this lesson, students learn that quantities that are not whole numbers can also be represented on the number line, an important step toward the understanding that fractions are numbers. To support this transition, students move from representing fractions by shading diagrams (an area representation) to marking their locations on a number line (a linear representation).

• Create a set of cards from the blackline master for each group of 2. 

• Each student needs at least 5 number lines from 0 to 1. Each copy of the blackline master contains a few extra number lines, in case students fold incorrectly at first.
• Create a number line folded into fourths and a fraction strip that shows fourths to display in the synthesis.

What was the best question you asked students today? Why would you consider it the best one based on what students said or did?