## Reflection: Grappling with Complexity Fractions Can Be Fun - Section 4: Assessing Understanding

Students easily can draw and label  fractional parts for quarters and halves. Thirds is not as visually simple so students have trouble trying to draw 3 equal parts or trying to fold 3 equal parts of something.

If they draw a rectangle and make 3 equal parts they can come close to making it work, but often students begin by drawing a line down the center so then they have 1 large part because they know they need to divide the last piece in half to end up with 3 even pieces. The same thing happens when they fold paper, they want to fold it in half and then in half again, but when they open it up they are surprised to see 4 sections instead of 3.

I try to show students how to roll the paper into thirds if they are folding. I hold it up like a telescope to look through it, and then roll it a bit so my pieces look about the same, and then I crease the paper. When students are about to draw thirds without folding, I tell them to imagine 3 even pieces first and to think about how the pieces must be (and I pause and ask here.. ) bigger or smaller than a half? Right, they need to be smaller so don't draw a line down the middle.. move over a little.

With a circle, some students recognize a peace sign in the division into thirds. I also tell them it is like putting a big Y inside the circle.

Remember that thirds is not as easily visualized so your students may need help here.

Thirds Don't Make Sense
Grappling with Complexity: Thirds Don't Make Sense

# Fractions Can Be Fun

Unit 9: Fractions
Lesson 1 of 10

## Big Idea: Students recognize what it means to fold a paper in half, but do they recognize how to create fourths or thirds?

Print Lesson
3 teachers like this lesson
Standards:
Subject(s):
70 minutes

### Beth McKenna

##### Similar Lessons

###### Partitioning squares to create triangles
2nd Grade Math » Partitioning Shapes
Big Idea: Students learn about equal shapes and then explore dividing squares to make equal triangles.
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Resources(18)

Environment: Urban
The passage describes the challenges students face when trying to visualize and create thirds in fractions, particularly when drawing or folding paper. It provides strategies for teaching students how to create thirds, such as rolling paper into a telescope shape and using a "Y" shape for circles.
no_question

the text does not contain any specific mathematical questions or answers to such questions. it is primarily instructional and descriptive, focusing on teaching strategies and common student misconceptions.
Given a text passage, determine:
    1. If it contains a mathematical question (including word problems or calculations)
    2. If an answer to that mathematical question is provided in the text

First, describe the content structure you found in 1-2 sentences.

Then provide your analysis in the following format:
TYPE: <one of the following values>
- NO_QUESTION
- SINGLE_QUESTION
- SINGLE_QUESTION_WITH_ANSWER
- MULTIPLE_QUESTIONS
- MULTIPLE_QUESTIONS_WITH_ANSWERS
system
## Reflection: Grappling with Complexity Fractions Can Be Fun - Section 4: Assessing Understanding

Students easily can draw and label  fractional parts for quarters and halves. Thirds is not as visually simple so students have trouble trying to draw 3 equal parts or trying to fold 3 equal parts of something.

If they draw a rectangle and make 3 equal parts they can come close to making it work, but often students begin by drawing a line down the center so then they have 1 large part because they know they need to divide the last piece in half to end up with 3 even pieces. The same thing happens when they fold paper, they want to fold it in half and then in half again, but when they open it up they are surprised to see 4 sections instead of 3.

I try to show students how to roll the paper into thirds if they are folding. I hold it up like a telescope to look through it, and then roll it a bit so my pieces look about the same, and then I crease the paper. When students are about to draw thirds without folding, I tell them to imagine 3 even pieces first and to think about how the pieces must be (and I pause and ask here.. ) bigger or smaller than a half? Right, they need to be smaller so don't draw a line down the middle.. move over a little.

With a circle, some students recognize a peace sign in the division into thirds. I also tell them it is like putting a big Y inside the circle.

Remember that thirds is not as easily visualized so your students may need help here.

Thirds Don't Make Sense
Grappling with Complexity: Thirds Don't Make Sense

# Fractions Can Be Fun

Unit 9: Fractions
Lesson 1 of 10

## Big Idea: Students recognize what it means to fold a paper in half, but do they recognize how to create fourths or thirds?

Print Lesson
3 teachers like this lesson
Standards:
Subject(s):
70 minutes

### Beth McKenna

##### Similar Lessons

###### Partitioning squares to create triangles
2nd Grade Math » Partitioning Shapes
Big Idea: Students learn about equal shapes and then explore dividing squares to make equal triangles.
Favorites(1)
Resources(18)

Environment: Urban
user
The passage describes the challenges students face when trying to visualize and create thirds in fractions, particularly when drawing or folding paper. It provides strategies for teaching students how to create thirds, such as rolling paper into a telescope shape and using a "Y" shape for circles.

TYPE: NO_QUESTION

The text does not contain any specific mathematical questions or answers to such questions. It is primarily instructional and descriptive, focusing on teaching strategies and common student misconceptions.