BITS and PIECES I Teaching Notes Investigation 1 Fund- Raising Fractions Materials - Labsheet 1.5 (or 5.2), 8 1/2 inch strips of paper, 9 per student but you will want to make extra, rulers Before starting this unit ask students to find examples of how fractions, decimals, or percents are used in everyday life. Students can look in magazines, newspapers, talk to adults, etc. If your school has fundraising, students could record profits like the model in investigation 1 with the thermometer to show progress. This would give students a real life application of what they are studying. Homework – Review median, mode and mean. (pages 9-10) in Scott Foresman, course 1. Have a copy of the transparency 1.2 for each of your classes because you will want to record information from each class so you can refer back to it when you do 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5. Make sure to record all student responses on 1.2, even those that are not correct. Make sure students give both the fractions and the dollars when they give their answers to record on overhead transparency. Making the fraction strips is one class period. Then you can probably do the rest of 1.2 and 1.3 on the same day. Give students an envelope for fraction strips. If students are struggling on the harder fraction strips you can use a piece of lined paper for them to use as a guide to divide parts. 1.2 Is a good opportunity to do some mental math on part of a whole. Students may need some examples before doing the activity. 1.2 follow-up question works better if you make a chart like this: Easiest

Easy

Hard

Halves

Thirds

Fifths

Fourths

Sixths

Sevenths

Eighths

Twelfths

Ninths

Tenths

Homework – Review outliners and graphing (pages 11-12) in Scott Foresman, course 1. 1.3- Comparing Classes- note that the goal amounts for the three classes differ but the lengths of the thermometers are the same. Make sure you include 1.3 Follow Up because students look at the money raised but not the participation in reaching the class goal. Homework – pages 16-17 (13-26) graph paper is needed. 1.4 - Students are introduced to the mixed number in 1.4. The summarize section (18h) suggests questions you might ask to assess your students’ understanding of fractions of different wholes after 1.4. Homework – page 15, (8-11) give students a similar problem to the homework in class to ensure their success. 1.5 When students compare fractions using the fraction strips page, a good visualizing strategy is to lay a ruler down the page so students can see the fractions that are equivalent. Labsheet 5.2 can be used in place of 1.5 at this time because they will use this one later and it has the hundredths strip on it. Homework – pages 14-16 (1-7, 12), page 18 Reflections Measurement is not directly taught in this series but is included in many activities. In the ACE section, Connections 13-25 students work with English system measuring length.

Investigation 2 Comparing Fractions Materials- labeled fraction strips from Investigation 1, transparencies, and large number line. 2.1 Homework – page 174 Investigation 1, page 93 questions bank, #1 2.2 Homework – pages 26-29 (1-7, 19, 38-40) 2.3 Homework – pages 27-29 (20-27, 37) 2.4 Introduces benchmarks (reference points) that are used all three years for making comparisons. Homework – pages 26-29 (8-15, 41, 42) Students can use many ways to compare fractions, including using a multiplication chart. 2.5 On problem 2.5, Explore (page 30h) suggests questions you might ask to help your students think about how to label points on the number line with improper fractions.

Homework – pages 27-29 (16-18, 28-36), page 30 Reflections Check-up #1 can be given at this time. Investigation 3 Cooking with Fractions Materials- Labsheets 3.1, rulers, teacher transparencies This investigation does some measurement with capacity in the English system. *Since measurement is not taught directly in this program this might be a place where you include some work with measurement taken from other sources. 3.1 Problem 3.1 shows round pizzas but it would be a good idea to show both round and square models of pizzas. Both will be used on the test and students can be more accurate with the square pan pizza. Emphasize equal sized pans. Students can use overhead transparencies to record their solutions and they can present their strategies to the class. For students to be successful with the check-ups and quizzes include cost of the brownies and pieces of pizza. On problem 3.1 you can ask what a fair price for the brownies would be. 3.1 Homework – pages 34-37 (13, 18, 32) 3.2 For problem 3.2 there is a brownie table chart to increase the recipe in your supplementary materials. Demonstrate multiplying with fractions and whole numbers before giving students the brownie problem. Homework – pages 35-36 (14-17), page 81 in Scott Foresman Partner Quiz can be given after this investigation. Investigation 4 From Fractions to Decimals Materials- cubes or tiles, grid paper, labsheets, transparencies, Distinguishing Digit cards 4.1 Homework – pages 49-50 (38-41) 4.2 Problem 4.2 Launch (page 52b) suggests ways to assess your students’ understanding of decimals. Students may need more practice with decimal place value and terminology. Use labsheet 5.1 instead of 4.ACE so you have more grids. Homework – pages 46-47 (1-9) use labsheet 5.1 instead of 4.ACE so you have more grids.

ACE #10-36,43,44, students need the labsheet 5.2 that they completed previously to assist in their comparisons. 4.3 On Problem 4.3- decimal benchmarks, use money as a source for decimals to fractions because students can relate to money. As students look for ways to compare decimals directly, don’t let the process proceed to an algorithm too soon. Homework – pages 47-51 (10-36, 43, 44), show a number line with steps during class so students understand homework. 4.4 Problem 4.4- Distinguishing Digits- you might want to play Digit Draw from the Lane County materials (use cards or a 10-sided dice) as an introduction. Distinguishing Digits activity can be successful as a whole class activity. You can set up guidelines to encourage participation. Placing mystery numbers in stapled packet that table groups must solve in a timed period works well. The table with the most correct answers wins. This is a good time to introduce adding and subtracting common fractions rather than doing the follow-up. Homework – Should include a worksheet on adding and subtracting common fractions. Investigation 5 Moving Between Fractions and Decimals Materials- labsheets 5.1, 5.2, tiles, straight edges, chart paper or transparencies of 5.2 and overhead markers 5.1 There are similar problems to 5.1 in Lane County Problem Solving, 7th grade if students need more practice. Homework – pages 59-63 (17-24, 39), Reflections page 52 5.2 Students should have already done labsheet 5.2 and they can cut the hundredths off the bottom or use a ruler to line up on the sheet. ACE #35-38 are on metric measurement. Homework – pages 58-63 (1-16) 5.3 On problem 5.3, point out to students that some answers will not be whole numbers. Homework – pages 60-65 (25-31, 33-34, 40-50) Labsheet 5.2 is required. Check-up #2 can be given now Investigation 6 Out of One Hundred Materials- labsheets, hundredths strips (from labsheet 5.2), fraction strips (optional) Problem Solving in Mathematics, 7th grade percent section, has additional work if needed. 6.1 If you give students several copies of labsheet 6.1, they can figure out the information better if they color it in on the sheets.

Homework – pages 77-78 (1-8, 12) page 66 Reflections use labsheet 6.1. 6.2 Homework – pages 78-79 (9-11, 14-15), page 37 (1-10) Scott Foresman – adding/subtracting decimals. 6.3 For problem 6.3 students need to have the hundredths grids. Students need to recall benchmarks for 1/2, 1, and 2. Students need copies of lab sheet 6.ACE for problems 17-19. Homework – pages 78-82 (13, 17-20, 22-28) page 83 Reflections. Unit Test: This is a two-part test. The first part is an individual, in-class unit test. The second part is a short individual research and writing assignment to do as a take-home assignment. For this part students need to have newspapers and/or magazines to find fractions, decimals, and/or percents.

Bits and Pieces 1 – Unit Planning Overview 6th Grade Investigations & Assessments

Days Aprx.

Materials for Students

Materials for Teachers

Transparencies

1. Fundraising Fractions Read TE p. 18 a-k

5

8 1/2” strips of paper (9/student)

Transparent cm ruler 8 1/2” fractions strips for overhead

1.1 – 1.5 Transparency of Labsheet 1.5

2. Comparing Fractions Read TE p. 30 a-k

5

Labeled fraction strips from Labsheet 1.5

Large number line (see 2.3)

2.1-2.5 Transparency of Labsheet 1.5

Check Up 1

1/2

3. Cooking with Fractions Read TE p. 45a-g

2

Quiz A 4. From Fractions to Decimals Read TE p. 52a-k

1 3

5. Measuring Parallelograms Read TE p. 55a-g

4

Check – Up 2 6. Out of One Hundred Read TE p. 83a-g

Self-Assessment Unit Test

1/2 4

Take home 1

Fraction strips

Copies for Students Labsheet 1.5 Notebooks Checklist, p. 99

ACE Questions 1.1: SF p.9-10 1.2: SF p. 11-12 1.3: #13-26 1.4: #8-11 1.5: #1-7, 12, reflection p. 18 2.1: Add. practice p. 174 and Quest. Bank #1 2.2: #1-7, 19, 38-40 2.3: #20-27, 37

p. 86-7

Miscellaneous Save fractions strips from Labsheet 1.5 for future lessons. Folding the fractions in 1.2 takes most of the period.

Answers on p. 101 Scoring guide and student work samples on p. 106108.

Rulers or other straignt edges

3.1-3.2B Transparency of Labsheet 3.1

3.1: #13, 18-32 3.2: #14-17, SF p. 81

Colored cubes or tiles (optional, 100/group) Distinguishing Digit Cards, p. 165-70

4.1-4.4

4.1: #38-41 4.2: #1-9 4.3: #10-36, 43, 44 4.4: See teaching notes

Colored tiles Scissors Straight Edges Chart paper or transparencies or Labsheet 5.2 Markers (15/student) Hundredths Strips (from Labsheet 5.2) Fraction Strips (optional)

5.1-5.3 Transparency of Labsheet 4.2D Transparency of Labsheet 5.2

5.1: #17-24, 39 and reflections p. 52 5.2: #1-16 5.3: #25-31, 33, 34, 40-50

p. 88-89

Answers on p. 101 To make Distinguishing Digit Cards: copy p. 165170 for each group, cut out put in envelopes marked with puzzle number.

p. 89-90 6.1-6.4B Transparency of newspaper advertisement (optional)

6.1: #1-8, 12 6.2: #9-11, 14-15, SF p. 37 6.3: #13, 17-20, 2228 and reflection p. 83 p. 101 p.98-99

Answers on pgs. 104-105.

Newspapers and/or magazines will be needed for the Unit Test: Individual Research p., 98 at the end of the unit. If students won’t have these items at home, start collecting them at the beginning of the unit. See p. 2 for suggestion of something students start several days before the beginning of this unit. 2/16/01 JM:dh Question Bank p. 93-95 Glossary p. 172-72 Family Letter p. 164