# Lesson 4

Build Fractions from Unit Fractions

### Lesson Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is for students to build non-unit fractions and whole numbers from unit fractions.

### Lesson Narrative

In the previous lesson, students named non-unit fractions and made sense of the notation used to write them. In this lesson, students play a game in which they build non-unit fractions from unit fractions (for example, they try to collect enough cards showing $$\frac{1}{6}$$ to make $$\frac{3}{6}$$). They record these fractions on a fraction strip diagram. Then, students partition and shade diagrams to represent situations involving fractional lengths and consider the location of the endpoint of a fractional length. This will be helpful in subsequent lessons, when students represent fractions on a number line.

• Engagement
• MLR8

### Learning Goals

Teacher Facing

• Build non-unit fractions and whole numbers from unit fractions.

### Student Facing

• Let’s build other fractions from unit fractions.

### Required Materials

Materials to Gather

Materials to Copy

• Secret Fractions Stage 1 Cards
• Secret Fractions Stage 1 Gameboard

### Required Preparation

Activity 1:

• Create a set of cards from the blackline master for each group of 2.
• Print extra gameboards for the launch and groups that have time for an extra game.
• Students might want a folder or divider so their partner doesn’t see their cards.

Addressing

Building Towards

### Lesson Timeline

 Warm-up 10 min Activity 1 20 min Activity 2 15 min Lesson Synthesis 10 min Cool-down 5 min

### Teacher Reflection Questions

How did having visual representations help students think about building fractions from unit fractions in today’s lesson?

### Suggested Centers

• Mystery Number (1–4), Stage 3: Fractions with Denominators 2, 3, 4, 6 (Addressing)
• Number Line Scoot (2–3), Stage 2: Halves, Thirds and Fourths (Addressing)

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 Student Task Statements pdf docx Lesson Cover Page pdf docx Cool Down Log In Teacher Guide Log In Teacher Presentation Materials pdf docx Blackline Masters zip

### Additional Resources

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