Equivalent Fractions and Fraction Benchmarks
Warm-up
Show a chocolate bar: 4 pieces, 2 shaded. 2/4 shaded. Show another: 8 pieces, 4 shaded. 4/8 shaded. Are these the same amount? (Yes.) Why? These are equivalent fractions. How many different fractions could I write for this same amount? (Infinitely many.) The number line and fraction strips confirm they are all the same point.
Explore
Equivalent fraction investigation: students receive a target fraction (e.g., 2/3) and must find 5 equivalent fractions and verify each by drawing the area model. Then simplify 4 given fractions to lowest terms using the GCF. Share strategies for finding the GCF.
Consolidate
Practice
Students generate 4 equivalent fractions for each of 3 given fractions, simplify 6 fractions to lowest terms, and place 8 fractions on a number line. Exit ticket: simplify 16/20.
Exit ticket
Students generate 4 equivalent fractions for each of 3 given fractions, simplify 6 fractions to lowest terms, and place 8 fractions on a number line. Exit ticket: simplify 16/20.
GCF of 18 and 24: factors of 18 are 1,2,3,6,9,18; factors of 24 are 1,2,3,4,6,8,12,24. GCF = 6. 18/6 = 3, 24/6 = 4. Simplified: 3/4.
Convert to common denominator: 5/7 = 50/70, 7/10 = 49/70. So 5/7 > 7/10 by 1/70.