Comparing Unit Fractions: Making Sense of Denominators of 10 or Less

Comparing Unit Fractions: Making Sense of Denominators of 10 or Less

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to compare different unit fractions of the same whole, limited to denominators of 10 or less.

State the learning objective clearly and make sure that the students understand what they will be able to do by the end of the lesson.

What do you already know about fractions?

What is a Unit Fraction?

A unit fraction is a fraction where the numerator is 1 and the denominator represents the total number of equal parts that make up a whole.

Explain to the students what a unit fraction is so they can understand the lesson better.

What is a Denominator?

The denominator is the number at the bottom of a fraction that shows how many equal parts the whole is divided into.

Ensure that the students understand what the denominator is and its importance in fractions.

Example of Comparing Unit Fractions

1/5 is less than 1/2 because the whole is divided into fewer parts in 1/5 than in 1/2.

Use concrete examples to help the students understand how to compare unit fractions.

Comparing Unit Fractions with the Same Denominator

When the denominators are the same, the unit fraction with the larger numerator is the larger fraction.

Explain to the students that when the denominators are the same, the larger numerator means the fraction is larger.

Comparing Unit Fractions with Different Denominators

If the denominators are different, we need to find a common denominator before we can compare them.

Teach the students how to find a common denominator when comparing fractions with different denominators.

Finding a Common Denominator

To find a common denominator, we need to find the least common multiple (LCM) of the two denominators.

Explain to the students how to find the LCM of two denominators.

Comparing Unit Fractions with Different Denominators Using a Common Denominator

Once we have found a common denominator, we can compare the fractions by comparing their numerators.

Show the students how to use the common denominator to compare fractions with different denominators.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.