Mathematical goals

This lesson unit is intended to help students to:

• Compare, convert between and order fractions, decimals, and percents.
• Use area and linear models of fractions, decimals, and percents to understand equivalence.

Introduction

This lesson unit is structured in the following way:

• Before the lesson, students work individually on an assessment task designed to reveal their current understanding. You then review their responses and create questions for students to consider when improving their work.
• Students work in small groups on a collaborative discussion task, placing decimal/percent, and fraction cards in order, along with area and linear diagrams that assist them in justifying and explaining their thinking.
• In a whole-class discussion, students discuss what they have learned.
• Finally, students revisit their initial work on the assessment task and work alone on a similar task to the introductory task.

Materials required

• Each student will need a copy of the assessment tasks Fractions, Decimals, and Percents and Fractions, Decimals and, Percents (revisited).
• Each small group of students will need some plain paper, cut-up copies of all of the Card Sets, some poster paper, and a glue stick.

Time needed

15 minutes before the lesson, an 80-minute lesson (or two shorter lessons), and 20 minutes in a follow-up lesson (or for homework). Exact timings will depend on the needs of the class.