Easy Fraction of a Set Game

Fraction of a set can be a challenging concept for fourth grade.  Often they are still trying to understand the idea of fractions dividing a whole into equal sized parts.  So looking at a given number of equal sized groups that relate to one as "one whole set" is very confusing.

To begin, we go back to the division dots task cards that we used earlier in the year.  This review with the concept of arrays gets them comfortable.  I much prefer the "we did this already" as opposed to the, "I don't get it."  Because the moment they are bored I tell them, "Good, you remember.  Now we're just going to add one more step, which is to color a certain number of sets after you circle them."  And they are on their way!  There are 3 levels of practice in my fraction of a set task cards.

In order to help them conceptualize fraction of a set without a visual, I came up with a quick review game you can do with your class, and all you need is masking tape!  

Here's how I explain and scaffold for the game.  Right before Morning Meeting, I used thin masking tape and divided the rug area into a large area and a small area.  That day I had 16 students.  I told them "I want 1/2 of the class in the large area, and 1/2 in the small area."  They quickly and easily got into 2 groups of 8. 

Next, I asked each group to line up in their section.  I wrote "1/2" on the board and explained that there were TWO lines, because 2 is the denominator.  I asked if they thought they could get into FOUR lines, with only 1/4 on the small side and 3/4 on the large side.  Once that was done, we determined that 1/4 of 16 is 4.  I asked them how much 3/4 of 16 was, and they counted 12.

The next day I pushed them a little further, asking for 3/8 of 16.  They needed some reminding about getting into 8 rows, but what most of them COULD do independently was to get 3 of those lines in the smaller side and 5 on the larger size.  I asked how many kids were in the 3/8 of 16 section and they counted 6.

The final variation of this game was to find a "mystery number."  In Math in Focus, Chapter 6 (Fractions) they have to basically "do fraction of a set backwards." 

In other words, I tell the class that I am thinking of a certain class size that is SMALLER than the number of students present today.  That number is a mystery.  However, I will tell them that 3/5 of that number is 9. 

Again, to start out they need reminding that they need to get into 5 rows.  They remembered on their own to have 3 rows on one side with 2 rows on the other.  Then I reminded them that there should be 9 kids on the side with 3 rows.  At that point, they remembered they needed equal sized groups.  

When there was a single student left over, not in a row, they determined that the class size I was thinking of was one less than 16:  15. 

In the end, we discuss 3 ways to find fraction of a set.  I had a few kids find the algorithm (method 2) on their own as they were working on the task cards!  They really feel like they "own" it when they "Find a method."  

Do you have any tips for teaching fraction of a set? 

Edmodo vs. Classroom Weebly Blog

Over on All Things Upper Elementary, I wrote about my first attempts to use Edmodo with my class.  To sum up, it has some great features for my fourth graders, and they were very excited about it.  However, because I have more experience with Weebly as a classroom blog, I feel as though I need to decide for next year: will I use Edmodo, Weebly, or both?  Today I weighed the benefits of each in order to come to a decision.  

Both sites:

• Allow teachers to publish text, photos, documents, and links. It's great to have a "home base" when you want students to go to a new website ("go to our page and click the link" instead of "type in this long address").  It's also great for kids to use at home as a study tool if you post your anchor charts, Educreations videos, or YouTube videos of demonstrations you've shown in class. 
• Allow students to post replies.
• Allow teachers to "moderate" comments (which means they are not published until the teacher approves them) if you wish, as well as turn off moderation (so kids' comments appear immediately) if you wish.
• Any post or comment can be deleted at any time.
• Get kids excited about reading and typing for an authentic purpose. 

Switch to Edmodo:  The pros

• 
  Edmodo appeals to kids because it looks like Facebook. 
• Edmodo is much more "social" as opposed to Weebly, which is more teacher driven.  That is, on Weebly the teacher writes posts, and the kids can click "reply" to respond.  Kids can view each other's comments by clicking "comments."  On the other hand, on Edmodo, kids can see all replies at a glance.  They can write their own posts, not just reply to the teacher's.  They can even upload pictures and links.  All that felt really scary to me at first!  However, as my instructor said, most kids are not going to post inappropriate things right in front of their teacher any more than they are going to stand up in the middle of class and say inappropriate things or display inappropriate photos.  (Of course, if your students are the sort who would, see above regarding how to moderate posts).
• Edmodo has built in online storage.  They can save a document they are working on in class into their Edmodo "backpack," then save it onto their computer at home. 
• Privacy.  The kids and I can post photos on Edmodo.  When I used Weebly the only photos I posted had their faces cropped or digitally covered.  Now they can see their pictures of class parties, showing off projects, and so on. 
• Polls.  This is a niche thing, but for fourth graders to see their votes turn into a bar graph is a great learning experience in and of itself.  Edmodo also makes voting easy, private, and fun.
• Quizzes.  Like Google Docs, it is possible to create a "form" that can be used for online quizzes.  The idea of having it all integrated is nice.
• Teaching communities.  It's not just the kids who benefit from Edmodo.  If you participate in the online communities, you will be surprised what ideas and resources teachers from around the world can offer you in no time!
• Features I haven't mastered yet.  There are alerts, assignments, and a calendar on Edmodo. 

Stick with Weebly:  The pros

• I can keep more control.  I fear that if the kids can post whatever they like, there will be too much junk to weed through to get to the content I want them to see at home.  There are filters on Edmodo, such as "view posts from the teacher," but for fourth grade it seems like one step too many in terms of accessing information. 
• I can keep posts more organized.  Although both sites allow posts to be organized (such as math posts, science posts, and so on), I don't think I have the ability to move a post if the kids (or I) post in the wrong area by mistake.  There are also archives by month in Weebly that I don't see in Edmodo.
• I can schedule posts.  In Edmodo, when you post there is a time stamp and to my knowledge those posts can not be reordered; it's there the moment you click "send."  And if I'm up very late on a school night, I don't like having my students see that reflected in the time I post (it just sets a bad example).  In Weebly, although I can't schedule posts in advance (to my knowledge) I can move posts around.  So if I write 3 posts and I want the math one to appear at the top, I can change the dates to post date the other two. 
• It's not the most profound reason, but as much as the kids like the look of Edmodo, I don't.  My Weebly blog has a lot more "personality" with the background image, custom banner, my choice of fonts, and so on.   
• I can create pages in Weebly.  I like to have important information on separate pages, such as "How to Log in to Study Island" and "News for Parents."  I don't see that on Edmodo.  I feel like those things we talk about at the beginning of the year that I want them to access all year will get lost in the mix.
• No student accounts to worry about.  I had to create a permission slip for my students to check the "my parents agree to the terms of use" box.  Weebly does not require user accounts and they don't require parent permission.  So when there are some parents who do not give permission (I have 3) I feel as though things are not equitable for all my students.  It was bad enough to have a blog when not all my students couldn't get on at home due to lack of internet access.  But to now have a place where some of my students can't go on even during the school day makes me think twice about what I post. 
• No username and password hassle.  On Edmodo, with every child using a different password (and forgetting) it adds an extra management piece that is more of a hassle.
• I'm not sure I need those extra features (alerts, assignments, and a calendar).  I have to admit I don't love kids seeing things on there that I'm not updating; it makes me feel like a slacker!

Limited Time Freebie

Conclusion: 

I think that next year I'm going to do exactly what I did this year.  Start out with the Weebly blog.  It's easier to manage.  Then, as with all good teaching, the time will come for "gradual release of responsibility."  We will switch over to Edmodo when they have seen me model what a good post looks like, (informative, but encourages a response from readers) I feel that their comments are on topic, and I can trust them to represent themselves well online.  It's working for us this year, so I will do the same next year.

Do you use either of these online platforms with your class, or have you tried one of the others?

Have You Tried Edmodo?

I recently had the opportunity to attend a workshop on Edmodo.  Whenever I heard about teachers talking about creating a class page with their students, Edmodo always came up.  And I'm interested in using technology more with my students;  I already had a classroom blog which I talked about in this post.  I just didn't know how Edmodo was different.

The instructors likened Edmodo to Facebook.  While I wouldn't "sell" it to parents in that way, the kids did see the connection right away and were excited about all the features:

1. Kids can personalize their account complete with avatar, learning style, career goal, and inspirational quote (they can even search by famous person within the system).
2. Kids can reply to posts.
3. Kids can write their own posts for others to reply to.
4. Kids can upload photos, links, and documents.
5. Teachers can post all of the above as well as polls and quizzes (very similar to using Google forms, but integrated onto Edmodo itself).
6. Teachers can enter dates and assignments into an integrated calendar.
7. There's an app for that (Apple and Android).

However, Edmodo is designed for children and therefore has safeguards against predators as well as cyber bullying. 

First, when you sign up for Edmodo as a teacher, you are given a "classroom code."  You will give that code to your students when you sign them up, and no one else can see the page unless they register with that code.  It's not the same as a password, in that the children will sign in with a username and password each time they log in, but the code is only used by them once when the register.  Once your whole class registers, you can "lock" the group.  If you get a new student later in the year you can reset the code to register that student (students who registered already don't need to re-register with the new code).  So the bottom line is, no one is getting on now or later without your help.

Second, unlike Facebook and other social media sites, there is no private messaging between students.  Anything a child writes will be seen by you and every other child in the class, and it will be logged under their real first name.  If a child was going to say something inappropriate, it would be as if they stood up in the middle of class to say it; it's all out in the open. 

You even have the option (in case you do have a "bold" class this year) to "moderate" comments.  That is, you can set their posts to stay hidden from the other kids until you approve each one.   

Edmodo does not require an Email to sign up (unlike most websites that you create accounts for).  The only tricky thing about signup is that children need to tick a box that says their parent has read and agreed to the terms of use.  Out of respect to this rule, I sent home a permission slip that granted the children permission to tick the box in class during my introductory lesson.

[Update] A reader requested a copy of this permission slip.  I've added it to my TPT store for free for a limited time, so if you're interested, grab it now!

I've used Edmodo for 2 weeks now, and honestly I am not sure I love it more than the classroom blog.  Watch for a future post on the pros and cons list for Edmodo versus Weebly. 

So if you're interested in Edmodo, I feel it IS worth trying, but you might find a different platform suits your needs better. 

Please Promote Creativity in Elementary School

I bet if you did one of those "Wordle Clouds" for all the elementary education articles out there written in the past 5 years, you'd see COMMON CORE in the forefront and creativity barely visible. 

Case in point:

On Thursday, our guidance councilor came in, in the middle of a lesson I was teaching.  She said she wanted a few fourth graders to create mini banners with uplifting words on.  She showed a sample and handed me 7 precut banners with words written lightly in pencil on the back.  Of course nearly every hand went up saying "Ooooh, me, me, pick me!"  Sounded a lot more fun than the instruction I was giving at the time on restating the question in an open response standardized test question.  I hid my annoyance about having my lesson derailed.  I asked, "When do you need them" and she said Monday.  I said "Sure, that sounds fun."  As she left, I put them on the shelf behind me and continued with my lesson as though there was no interruption. 

The kids soon forgot about it when they saw I was committed to carrying on with my ELA plans, but I didn't.  I just needed time to plan.  I wasn't going to pick 7 kids and leave out everyone else who wanted to participate.  So after school I measured and cut 9 more banners and for what feels like the first time this year, I wrote on our Morning Work board:

On the back of your paper is a word.  On the front, write the word in bubble letters or block letters.

Notice:

• The letters are written in ALL CAPS.
• The letters are outlined in black.
• The letters are all the same color.
• There is a background design.

The kids came in Friday morning and I heard them saying to others who were coming in in the second and third waves, "We get to color for Morning Work!  We get to draw letters for Morning Work!"  Even more exciting was when they asked, "Can we use markers?"  So often I say no because it makes paper curl, but these banners were on glossy cardstock which required marker.  Normally I don't even have markers for them to use, but I remembered we got a huge class set at the beginning of the year.  So I opened it for the first time, and kids came up as they arrived to take one of each color and I helped bag them.  It felt like Christmas morning.

What happened next made the artist in me cry.

As I was enjoying the quiet calm of contented coloring children, I began to hear muttering.

"JOHN didn't do all the letters in the same color."

*John's head slumped and his face went red*

"Leave me alone, I don't care!"

"You're SUPPOSED to write them in all caps!  Look, read the board!"

"Can I get another paper?"

"I messed up."

"Is it okay if draw a peace sign for a design if my word is 'peace'?"

"Can I start over?"

The kids were not used to having the freedom of expression. 

Maybe being interrupted during a test taking lesson was EXACTLY what they needed that day.

It's not like this came as a surprise to me.  As early as September I could see that this group needs constant reassurance (more than most beginning fourth graders).  They want the answer to come fast and easy to them.  They want to know right away if it's right.  And while taking pride in one's work and striving for accuracy wonderful things that some kids need more of, it can also be paralyzing.  What they saw on the board was not a list of suggestions: they saw a rubric.  For an art project.  For a social skills initiative.  For words like, "Peace, friends, and acceptance." 

I called for their attention.

"Kids, this is an art project.  It's not a math problem that has one right answer.  Your job is not to check each other's work and point out what others are doing wrong, pick up an eraser, and change it so that you all have the same answer.  The only directions were to write the word you are given. The rest are just things I noticed that help the word stand out clearly.  The colors and designs you use are your choice!  Don't criticize each other's art.  Appreciate the differences: art is meant to be different.  That's what makes it interesting to look at."

They went back to coloring quietly for a few minutes before they started looking at each other's art again and the chatter started back up:

"I tried making shadows.  It really does look like shadows."

"I gave mine a border."

"Can I see yours?  That's really good!"

"I made mine look 3D." 

"Look at mine!"

It was a start. 

Decimal Anchor Chart

After wrapping up fractions we are moving on to decimals!  What I LOVE about decimals is I feel like it's a culmination of so many skills we have done in fourth grade.  There's fractions, division, place value, money (okay, fourth grade doesn't "own" money, but it's a fun hook no matter your age) not to mention computation, ordering numbers, measurement and word problems.

By the time I hit my decimal unit, the kids know my teaching style, know who they can ask for help within their groups, and are ready to really accept help where they can get it, or show off what they know and brave some challenge work with confidence.

To drive the point home that math is all related, I created this anchor chart for them:

I also tried something new this time around.  Normally I unveil a chart this dense a little at a time.  They copy a part, practice a skill, and repeat in order to keep things active.  However this time I decided to try expediting their note taking with a "fill in the blank" page.  It basically consisted of this exact wording on the anchor chart, however I left out a word or two in each line for them to fill in as we discussed the information.

I felt like this was VERY successful for this particular anchor chart because the information is simple to grasp (even if it needed to be taught).  This was not an abstract procedure; it's all about connecting what they already know.  It would not have been an efficient use of time to have them stop and try something 4 times in this case, but it would have been too much writing to do all at once.


My plan for next year (and to keep trying for the rest of this year) is to do more of these "guided note pages" for my students.  I started with the poster (right) when we moved on to relating decimals and fractions.  I think this guided note taking will be even more useful for new fourth graders at the start of the year to ease them into note-taking, and free up more math time for hands on practice applying math concepts.  

After taking notes on the relationship between decimals and money, we played this matching game for decimals and money.  This was an easy game to set up and the kids could work independently while I worked with small groups.  Click to preview, and see if it would work for your class too!

Fourth Grade Fractions for CCSS

Last year I was very proud of my fractions unit.  This year our district cut back on the amount of time dedicated to fractions in fourth grade.  As a result, I had to make some tough decisions on which lessons to cut, and which were non-negotiable.  And I believe if my students only learn one thing, it has to be a true understanding of equivalent fractions.  So after introducing the idea of equal parts and equivalent fractions with 1/2 with paper folding just as we did last year, we continued on to finding other equivalents.

Another priority for me was to stick with the instructional strategy of starting with manipulatives, moving on to visuals, and culminating with computation.  The ultimate goal being for my students to use the models to come up with their OWN algorithms.  Using fraction bars, circle models, (affiliate links) and even pattern blocks (this was a voluntary challenge that every single student insisted on trying, yay!) here are some of the observations they made:

The next day, they brought their recorded observations with them to quiz ME.  I repeated the "how did she do it" sessions as I modeled how to sort equivalent fractions.  As some students were able to articulate the algorithm and demonstrated that they could apply it themselves, I gave them extension questions such as comparing and ordering fractions (which our curriculum cut this year).  Those kids who were able to find equivalents were, of course, able to add and subtract fractions with ease.  Those who did not have the concept yet continued to use manipulatives with me until they were able to draw their own conclusions about the algorithm.  There were several ways I helped my remedial group:

• We used fraction number lines as a tool for locating equivalents in order to add and subtract fractions.  This way they could retain the understanding that equivalents were needed, as well as reinforce the idea of adding numerators for like fractions (not denominators).
• We explored online tools here and here to help us find equivalents at home.
• We played games online to practice visualizing, and then calculating equivalents.

Then we moved on to changing from improper fractions to mixed numbers and back again.  We started with fraction number lines, since this is a common visual fourth graders are expected to be able to interpret on MCAS.  I felt like Math in Focus didn't give quite enough direct practice on using them, so I created several number lines pages of my own (link to product) to break down the process. And that's when something amazing happened.

After using the number lines to count up using mixed numbers and later improper fractions, most of my students found it simple to use fraction circles to tell 11/3 equals 3 2/3.  With a few hints, some were even able to find the algorithm of dividing and finding a remainder.  But one of my students said, "I have a different way to change a mixed number to an improper fraction.  Just draw 11 circles, box them into groups of 3, and you have 2 as a remainder.  The 3 groups is your whole number, the 2 is your numerator, and the denominator stays the same so it's 3."

She showed me a model she had drawn to prove her point (I tried to make it darker and in color so it would show up on camera).

I asked the kids, "Does this method always work?  Try it for one of the problems we've already answered on the numberline."  Of course, they came to the same conclusion:  this was a new strategy.  One their teacher had not used before!  From that point on I referred to this as "The Sally Method," and it became a favorite!

But even better was the fact that many of the other kids from that point on had become determined to find a method for the skills we were learning because they wanted a method named after them too!

Even those students who were struggling with equivalent fractions had a respite when we started fraction of a set, since we were all back to manipulatives and then visuals.  I explained to the kids how previously we divided a single circle into 4 parts.  However, we can also divide groups, not just shapes.  I said, "I can divide this class in half easily..." and many replied there would be 8 in each group, but one of my students (the sort of student you worry about, who struggles with math, normally lacks the confidence to participate, and has some difficulty expressing himself verbally) said, "Not...like a magician's box."  I laughed before the other kids caught on, and then explained for him.  "If I divide the class in half, I wouldn't need to do the magician's trick, like, 'I will now divide my lovely assistant in half!  Just step into this box...'"  They all said, "Ohhhhhh!"  That brought home the difference between dividing one thing and dividing a group for them! 

They really got into using the fraction of a set cards (link to product).  Once again they were all comfortable using the visuals to make observations, and several told me, "I think I've found a method!"  (They much preferred "method" to "algorithm," haha).  After using the level 1 set, "Junie" put it best, "You just divide the whole number by the denominator."  We now had a "Junie Method" instead of lifting a formula from the book.  Once we started the level 2 set, another student discovered, "To find 3/5 of 15, just do the Junie method and then multiply by the numerator."  They were developing their own language for concepts that they needed.  By the time we played 40 frogs during our computer time, they were telling me that fraction of a set is easy.

So despite a few disrupted weeks thanks to weather-induced days off, and outside pressures to speed things along, fractions was once again one of the highlights of our year.  We have today (Wednesday) off again for snow, but I think they are ready for their test on Friday (in record time).    

P.S., I know I missed a post last week.  The reason is I've been trying to get better about using Facebook.  I really had to immerse myself to get into it because after 2 years it wasn't clicking for me just going on once per week.  I think I've finally started to get into the spirit of it, so if you'd like to join me my Facebook is here.  On the other hand, if you enjoy reading about my lessons/units then not to worry; I do plan to keep up my Wednesday posts here at Shut the Door and Teach.