EDUC 553 Session 13
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School
Mercy College *
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Course
553
Subject
Mathematics
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by MegaArmadillo3514
1
Mercy College
EDUC 553
Session 13
Describe the following statement: “For students to really understand fractions, they must
experience fractions across many constructs, including part of a whole, ratios, and
division.”
When facilitating instruction on fractions it is important to unpack the abstract concepts
of fractions to help students to understand how to read them, use fractions and solve everyday
problems that involve fractions. Fractions are equal parts of a whole unit which can be a set of
objects or a measurement of area or volume. Fractions are an abstract concept that is difficult for
students and even some adults to understand. When learning about fractions it is important to
understand the number sense of fractions and their meaning rather than only understanding how
to problem solve operations of fractions within mathematics (Van de Walle et al., 2017, p. 249).
Students often have many misconceptions about fractions leading to the belief that fractions with
larger denominators have a higher value. Students need to be able to compare fractions with the
use of models or visual aids to understand the size of fractions within a whole part, a ratio or in
dividing a set of objects or measurement.
Explain differences across the three categories of models that exist for working with
fractions – area, length, and set or quantity.
Models of fractions can be represented by area, length or set and quantity. The area model
of a fraction can have students visualize filling a space with equally sized pieces of the whole.
For example, filling in an area of a square with equivalent fraction pieces to determine how
many are equal to the whole. A length model of a fraction can be used similar to a number line.
Students can visualize two fractions in the same position showing that they are equivalent to
2
each other. Length models can be shown using strips, rods or manipulative connecting cubes to
represent the fractional pieces within the whole. Set models of a fraction can be used to represent
fractions as objects within a whole and form groups. Objects can be represented by counters of
different colors, and the sums of the counters should be equivalent to the whole. For example, if
there is a class pizza party for 30 students, we can use counters to represent that 12 out of 30
students would like pepperoni on their pizza and 18 out of 30 students would like cheese pizza,
all together students will be able to visualize that in total the there are 30 counters, one to
represent each student but they are broken up into two groups that represent part of a whole.
Identify the importance of connections in the teaching and learning of fractions.
When teaching fractions, it is essential for students to understand the importance of
learning about fractions, its relevance to life outside of the classroom and the reasoning for why
fractions are used. Fractions represent the part of a whole. It can tell us how much we have or
need from the whole object or unit of measurement. Fractions are used in everyday life from
money exchanges, cooking, telling time, sharing items or food and gathering data. For example,
money such as change in coins are a fractional part of a whole dollar. A quarter is one-fourth of a
dollar amount, understanding fractions as it relates to money can help students to make
connections with the importance of understanding how to use money, save, give change and
spend. Understanding fractions and making connections to real life scenarios can help students to
make the connection that fractions are an important skill that is used often outside of the
classroom.
References
3
Van de Walle, J., Karp, K., Lovin, L., & Bay-Williams, J. (2017).
Teaching Student-
Centered Mathematics: Developmentally Appropriate Instruction for Grades 3-5 (Volume
2)
. Pearson Education.
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