Pre-Lesson Preparation

Open the Marty the Robot app and build the code from the teacher guide into the workspace.

This code will have Marty walk a set number of steps and then walk a fraction of the first distance. You need to enter the values manually before running the code.

Save this code in the app and give it an appropriate name. Please consult the teacher guide for step-by-step instructions for building it.

Warm-Up

Share with learners the objectives and success criteria for the day's lesson, from slide 2 of the presentation in the resource section; perhaps display this before the lesson starts and keep it displayed until another slide is needed.

Tell learners that they are going to play the four corners game.

Below is the procedure for the four corners game

1. In each corner of the room is a fraction picture.

2. You will cover your eyes and allow learners to choose one of the corners and go it.

3. You will call out a fraction: half, third, fourth/quarter or fifth.

4. Learners who are in that corner are 'out' and need to sit in the middle of the room or off to the side.

5. The game continues until one or two learners are left.

6. Repeat as desired

The goal is to remind learners about the comparative size of fractions, taken from the same whole.

Get Learning

Have learners remind you of fractions that they know and what it means to be a fraction. Learners may suggest half, quarter, third and fifth, from the warm-up activity. Some learners may suggest other ones as well. Learners may suggest that, "A fraction is a part of something; fractions are all the same size, so my half is the same as your half; fractions make up a whole." Take time to question what learners mean by their statements; there may be some confusion with what they have remembered.

Extend the idea of fraction to a line:

• display slide 3 of the presentation, which shows rectangles being cut along the long edge, there are 4 examples for the 4 fraction pizza images.
• display slide 4 of the presentation, which shows lines being cut and organised in parts
• highlight how many parts make the whole for both slides: a half needs two parts to make a whole; a third, three; a quarter/fourth, four; etc.

Ask learners if they would like to estimate about how long part of a line is. Slide 5 of the presentation presents a number of different lines and fractions that can match with them. By exiting the presentation mode, learners will be able to drag fractional lines to go with the 'whole' line.

Time for Practice

Display Marty and inform learners that Marty is going to walk a distance and then Marty will walk a fraction of that distance.

• Place an x on the ground where Marty is to start, this could be with tape or a pencil/pen mark on a piece of paper stuck to the ground.
• After Marty walks a 'whole' distance, mark the stopping point and have a volunteer measure the distance to the nearest unit.
• Choose the fraction of the whole distance Marty will walk, on the app, and press that code block.
• Have learners look to see 'about' how much of the distance Marty walked,
  • encourage the use of about when learners answer:
  • I think it is about half, a third/fourth/quarter/fifth of the whole distance.
• Tell learners how many times Marty will need to walk the fractional distance to walk the full distance, this will reinforce what the fraction means when compared to the whole
• Because Marty is walking in the real world, different surfaces using the same code will affect the distance they travel

Share with learners the practice activity in the workbook, in the resources section, which shows a collection of Martys walking a distance, with a line trailing behind. For each question, learners need to identify which of the lines goes with which fraction name for the original. It is hoped that learners will quickly realise that a half is more than a third, which is more than a fourth/quarter, which is more than a fifth but initially, learners will line up the lines with a measuring tool to compare the lengths.

As the activity questions continue, the challenge will increase: learners will have more choices than there are fraction lines.

Cool Down

Bring learners back together to discuss what they found interesting about fractions.

Suggested questions you might ask:

• How did you make sure your fraction line was accurate?
• What did you notice about the number on the bottom of the fraction?
• What do you think will happen as the bottom number continues to increase?

Carry out any end of lesson routines.