Fraction Conversion Lesson Plan
Abstract
Students will learn how to convert between fractions, decimals, and percents
using a computer applet and the concept of money.
Standards (NCTM 3-5)
Number and Operations
Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and
number
- Recognize and generate equivalent forms of commonly used fractions, decimals,
and percents;
Student Prerequisites
- Technological:
Students must be able to:
- perform basic mouse manipulations such as point,
click and drag.
- use a browser such as Netscape for experimenting with
the activities.
Teacher Preparation
Teacher will need to have a mock store set up in the rear of the class.
Students will need:
- access to a browser.
- pencil and paper.
- scissors.
- coin page print-outs.
Lesson Outline
- Focus and Review
Review prior fraction material. Lead into this lesson by asking:
How many people in here like money?
- Objectives
Student will be able to convert between fractions, decimals, and percents.
- Teacher Input
- Instruct the students to cut out their coins from the
coin pages.
- Ask the class how they would see 25 cents written in a store. Have the
student who raises his/her hand come write his/her answer on the board.
- Repeat this for 10, 5, and 1 cent/s.
- Instruct the students to separate their coins into pennies, nickles,
dimes, and quarters.
- So we represent money using decimals. How many pennies are in a dollar?
Count out 100 pennies. Using your pennies tell me:
- What is 1/4 of a dollar?
- How did you calculate that?
- Can someone write on the board that for the class in decimal
form?
- What is that equal to in quarters?
- What is 1/5 of a dollar?
- How did you calculate that?
- Can someone write on the board that for the class in decimal
form?
- What is that equal to in dimes and nickels?
- What is 1/2 of a dollar?
- How did you calculate that?
- Can someone write on the board that for the class in decimal
form?
- What is that equal to in dimes, nickels, and quarters?
- What is 1/10 of a dollar?
- How did you calculate that?
- Can someone write on the board that for the class in decimal
form?
- What is that equal to in dimes?
- What is 3/4 of a dollar?
- How did you calculate that?
- Can someone write on the board that for the class in decimal
form?
- What is that equal to in nickels and quarters?
- Explain to the students that what they are doing is converting from
fractions to decimals.
- Show the students how to convert from
fractions to decimals by dividing the numerator by the denominator.
- Now ask the students a series of questions about percentages.
- Does anyone know how much 100% of something is?
- Does anyone know how much 50% of something is?
- Show the students how to convert between percents and decimals.
- Guided Practice
- Have a mock store set up in the class. In the store have the
items on sale for example buy one $1.00 pencil get one 1/2 off.
- Pass out shopping lists. You will probably want to have several
different versions of the list to avoid students clustering at the
same stations.
- Have the students calculate a total for their list. You may want to
offer a small reward for those who total up their list correctly.
- Independent Practice
- Assign partners.
- Demonstrate how to use
Fraction Four.
- Have the students open the
Fraction Four applet and begin playing it with a partner.
- Closure
- Discuss why conversions between fractions, decimals, and percents are
important in real life situations.
- Review the steps used to convert between fractions, decimals,
and percents.
- Review any new vocabulary.