Ways to Make: Posters
Objective
Big Idea
Hook & Objective
Hook: Get kids excited for the lesson by starting with a dance to Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
Review & Objective: Last week, we explored how we could make half all of the items in our picnic basket, and how we could also split those objects into fourths. Today, our job is to think about all the different ways we can half an object, and all the ways we can cut an object into fourths. To do this, we are going to make a PBJ poster. Each person is going to make a poster of all the ways they can cut a PBJ sandwich into halves, and all the way they can cut them into fourths.
Opening Discussion
I'll show a variety of circles, rectangles and squares on the chart paper. See Class Chart for our chart. Notice I numbered the shapes to make it easier for students to refer to them in their partner discussions.
Present Problem: Who can help me find all of the shapes that show one half?
- Partner talk: Tell your partner one shape that has one half colored in, or shaded. How do you know that it shows one half?
- Partner talk: Tell your partner one shape that has one fourth shaded in. How do you know that it doesn't show one half?
Student Share: I'll choose 2-3 people to lead the class discussion. They will ask: Is this one half?
- After each students presents we will show agree or disagree symbols as a class. This is a way for everyone to get to express their opinion without calling out!
- Student leaders will then call on a student to explain why they do or do not think it is one half, focusing on MP3, construct viable arguments. Students must be able to articulate their reasoning for their answer.
After we listen to the student leaders, we will finish going through the other shapes and decide as a class if they have one half shaded or not. We circled the shapes that showed one half and crossed out the shapes that did not.
Poster Planning
Present task: You are going to get a group of shapes. Each shape is going to show a different way you can divide into halves and fourths.
Planning Questions:
- What are different ways you could divide a shape into halves?
- What are different ways you could divide the square into fourths?
Student Share: I'll choose one student to share out for each question.
Poster Making
Directions: Students will need to cut out multiples of the squares. Then they divide the shapes into halves and fourths and glue them onto their Ways to Make posters. You can give each of the students a half of a poster divided into 2 sections: Halves and Fourths. I chose to have students work in partners and create a full sized poster.
To set this activity up, I had kids spread out and work with their partners. See how I structured this time here: Poster Making
Extension: I included circles and rhombuses for extension activities. These are great for students who are ready for more of a challenge.
PBJ Ways to Make.docx masters are attached!
See examples of student work here! You'll notice how some students demonstrate a deeper understanding of halves-they divided into fourths but shaded in half of the shape! See Student Poster and Student Poster 2.
Closing
Play an online game!
This game exposes students to the idea of three-fourths or one half of 4 shares. This is not a standard in first grade, but it is a great way to expose them to other fractions.
Unit Assessment
Students complete the attached fractions assessment. This assessment includes spiraled addition and subtraction problems at the end and a fluency assessment portion. I give a fluency assessment weekly to make sure students are able to do at least 5 number sentences in a minute, with the big goal of being 10.
