Preview · the opening missionRead this to the class:
A new board game has a track from START to the FINISH flag, and the spinner tells you to move fractions of the way: "move 1/2", "move 3/4", "move 2/4". A player called Sam says, "Moving 2/4 must be further than moving 1/2, because 2 and 4 are bigger numbers." The game makers need to know who is right before they print the rules. Your team's job: find exactly where every fraction stands on a giant number line, and settle Sam's question.
Teams of three, with jobs that rotate: Stander (stands on the spot with the card), Measurer (measures from 0 with the metre stick), Recorder (writes the fraction and its distance from 0).
Look inside the PDF
Sample pages, stamped “preview”. The download is the clean, full lesson.
In the full lesson PDF
8 printable pages
- Predict (5–10 min)
- Hunt (20 min)
- Reveal (10–15 min)
- Act (10 min)
- Background for the teacher
- Assessment
- Student sheet
- Worksheet: Fraction cards
- Worksheet: Label it
- Worksheet: Try it at home
On the student sheet
- My prediction
- Our spots on the line
- What did we find?
- Draw it
- Our rule card
- Exit ticket
- Fraction cards
- Label it
- Try it at home
US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white. The student sheet is on its own page, ready to photocopy.
Free with an account (any 3 lessons), or US$19 for all 4 lessons in this unit.
What students show by the end
- Places a fraction on the line
- Recognizes equivalent fractions
- Compares with benchmarks
From the lesson’s rubric, which scores each one as not yet, getting there or got it.
Questions teachers ask
How long does “Where does three-quarters stand?” take?
50–60 min. Group size: teams of 3.
How much prep does it need?
20 minutes: on a playground or long hallway, chalk or tape a straight line 4.8 m (about 15 ft 9 in) long. Mark 0 at one end, 1 at 2.4 m and 2 at 4.8 m. Leave the rest unmarked. Print and cut the fraction cards from the Worksheet, one set for the class. Each team needs a metre stick or a 3 m tape and a piece of chalk.
What materials do I need?
Sidewalk chalk or masking tape; metre stick or 3 m measuring tape; fraction cards (from the Worksheet). Cost: free with chalk or tape you already have.
Which curriculum standards does it cover?
Common Core Math (US): 3.NF.A.2, 3.NF.A.3, 4.NF.A.1 (partly) and 4.NF.A.2.
What’s in the lesson PDF?
A teacher guide that walks you through predict, hunt, reveal, act, background for the teacher and assessment, then a student sheet (“My prediction”, “Our spots on the line”, “What did we find?”, “Draw it”, “Our rule card”, “Exit ticket”, “Fraction cards”, “Label it” and “Try it at home”) on its own page, ready to photocopy. It’s US Letter and prints cleanly in black and white.
Can I try it for free?
Yes. A free account includes any 3 full lessons of your choice, and this can be one of them. After that, this unit is US$19 for all 4 lessons, yours to keep, or every lesson is US$199 a year.