Prologue

Essential Question- How are fractions used?

Lesson Summary
Students will each receive a quantity of fruit that will be used to create a fruit salad. Students will be given specific directions on how to divide their fruit in to 2, 3, or 4 equal pieces, depending on what type of fruit it is. Once students successfully assemble their fruit salad, they will be able to eat it!

Lesson Instructions

Introduction
-Read the book Eating Fractions.
– Note how the foods are first introduced as whole pieces. They are then split into equal pieces. The number of pieces the whole is broken into determines which fractions are used (i.e. 1 whole, split into 2 pieces- each piece is ½).
– Tell students that they will be taking whole pieces of fruit, splitting them up into parts, and using those parts to make fruit salad.

Instruction
– Instruct students to wash their hands at the sink and then go to their places at the tables.
– Each student will be given a paper plate and a knife. As supplies are being distributed, remind students of expectations for behavior:
1. Plates must be kept on the table. Fruit must be kept in the bowls or on the plates.
2. Knives may only be used for cutting fruit. Any student who uses their knife to hit, poke, or cut another student or who tries to cut other items will have their supplies taken away and will not be able to participate in the creation of the fruit salad.
3. Share supplies. Help others at your table. Be polite, kind, and respectful.
4. Any pieces of fruit that are dropped on the floor will need to be put in the garbage.
-Distribute recipe cards to each of the tables. Each table should get two cards, one on either end so that all students can see and follow the recipe.
-Distribute fruit to each table. Set expectations for behavior:
1. You may not eat any of the fruit until the entire fruit salad has been made and the teacher says that you may eat it.
2. Only take the fruit that the teacher instructs you to take. Leave all other fruit where it is until instructed otherwise.
3. The fruit must stay in its container (bowl, plate, etc) or on the students’ plates at all times. Students should not handle the fruit unless instructed to do so by the teacher.
4. Any fruit that lands on the floor will be throw in the garbage.
– Instruct students to select their grapes first. Each group will need to divide the grapes equally among all students at the table. Any extra grapes can be discarded.
– Instruct students to cut their grapes into two halves. Note how each part of the grape is ½ of a grape.
– Instruct students to select a pineapple ring. The pineapple ring needs to be cut into four equal pieces or quarters. Note how one piece of the pineapple ring is ¼, two pieces are 2/4, and three pieces are ¾.
-Instruct students to select 2 strawberries each. The strawberries will also need to be divided into 4 equal parts. Ask students to think about the difference in shape between the pineapple and the strawberry. Are the fractions going to be the same or different for these two different pieces of fruit? Why? (Note that some strawberries may have shapes that are difficult to divide into equal pieces that are the same shape. As long as the pieces are approximately the same size, they do not have to be the same shape to be considered equal to each other).
– Instruct students to peel the oranges. How many different sections of orange are there (What is the whole)? What fraction would represent 1 section of orange? What are the different ways that the orange can be divided into equal groups?
– Instruct students to take 1 quartered section of the banana and peel it. Ask students to identify what fraction of the banana they have (¼).
– Instruct students to cut their banana piece in half. Challenge students to identify another fraction (equivalent fraction) that can be used to refer to their portion of the banana, now that it is cut into even smaller pieces (2/8 ).
– Distribute cups and forks. Instruct students to write their names on the cups.
– Have students combine their fruit pieces in their cups and stir them well.
– Set the cups down on the table and begin clean up.
– Once all garbage has been discarded, the tables are clean, and students have washed their hands, they may enjoy their fruit salad.

Closure
– Ask students to think about other ways that fractions can be used in cooking. Note ¼, ½, cups, teaspoons, etc.
– How do we use fractions in other aspects of our lives?

Assessment
Students demonstrate a willingness to listen and follow directions.
Students divide their fruit pieces into the correct number of pieces.
Students recognize that fractions refer to smaller parts of a whole.

Materials

• Book- “Eating Fractions” by Bruce McMillan
• Recipe Cards- 2 for each table
• Cups
• Forks
• Bowls and/or plates with fruit
• Various kinds of fruit (strawberries, oranges, bananas, grapes, pinapple rings, etc)
• paper plates
• plastic knives

Downloads

• Fruit-Salad.pptx

Lesson Duration

60 minutes

Tags

• fractions

Categories

• Geometry
• Math

Standards

• Common Core Math

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Other/Alternative Standard(s)

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