Multiplication of Fractions: Unit Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 8 Unit: Fractions SCO: Students should be able to multiply fractions concretely, pictorially and symbolically Prior Knowledge: Students should know how to add and subtract fractions, as well as, simplify fractions. They should also be familiar with working with fraction tiles.

Setting the Stage:

Cartoon Review of fractions Bring multiplication of fractions into context

Discovery/Restructuring Phase:
Courtney MacPhails manipulative presentation using fraction tiles Transparencies/Drawings Discovery of algorithm

Closure:
Create your own word problem Jeopardy and Concentration Game Brainteaser Digital photo story or cartoon Music

Setting the Stage

Objectives:
Review terms for fractions Review how to simplify fractions Review addition and subtraction of fractions relating to the lowest common denominator Introduce context for multiplication of fractions

Materials:
Fraction tiles Overhead or powerpoint of cartoon

Advance Preparation:
Have terms and definitions prepared Examples of improper and equivalent fractions Examples of addition and subtraction of fractions

Instruction:
Present YouTube video Halfs and Simple Math Present the cartoon, provided in Appendix A (i), to the class to introduce the review of the terminology of fractions. Have students take a minute to jot down all terms that they think relate to the multiplication of fractions. As a group, discuss and review the terms that they came up with. Be sure to include such terms as numerator, denominator, lowest common denominator, equivalent fractions and improper fractions. (Assessment) As a class, review examples given in Appendix B for simplifying and equivalent fractions and adding and subtracting fractions. (Assessment) Introduce context for multiplication of fractions by giving them a real life type of question that is also relevant to the students. An example of a conceptual problem that may work in your class would be: The students of Madame Pheeney's grade 8 math class are selling brownies at a school bake sale. Customers are charged based on the fractional part of a pan of brownies they buy. A whole pan cost $12. The first customer wants to buy one half of a pan that is twothirds full. The students need to find out how much 1/2 of 2/3 is to find the selling price. Give students time to work in groups on the problem and have them pass their thoughts, ideas and attempts in as exit slips. This will allow the teacher to assess their thoughts on fractions. (Assessment)

Discovery/Restructuring Phase
Present the cartoon, given in Appendix A(ii), as an introduction to the multiplication of fractions Fraction Tiles Mini-Discovery phase: Refer to fraction tile manipulative lesson plan by Courtney MacPhail. Mini-Closure: Have your students create their own word problems using fraction tiles. Give them the choice to pick their own fraction tiles. This will force students to work in reverse from what they were taught in Courtneys manipulative. This is an enrichment activity for your students. (Assessment) **Teachers have to be sure that the students have grasped the concept of multiplication of fractions using fraction tiles before they can move on to transparencies and drawings of fractions. Transparencies Refer to transparency manipulative lesson plan. **Transparencies are a great way to lead into the drawing section of the discovery phase. **When it comes time to make up questions for examples to do in class try and create similar word problems as included in Courtneys manipulative starting with Type 1 questions and continuing on to Type 2 and 3 questions with increasing difficulty. In other words, Type 1 question: Courtneys word problem#1 Type 2 question: Courtneys word problem#2 Type 3 question: Courtneys word problem#3

Drawings Mini-discovery Help the students model multiplication of fractions using the similar techniques from the transparencies manipulative. They will be drawing them out on paper and splitting the drawings into fractions. Go over several problems until the students understand the concept. i.e. 1/2 times 1/3 1. Start off with one rectangle and divide it into halves.

2. Divide a rectangle of the same size into thirds

3. Overlap the thirds onto the halves

Mini-Closure: For reinforcement: Once students have grasped the drawing concept, you may want them to work on similar word problems to the ones used previously used Play Jeopardy with the class. See Appendix C for the

instructions. For enrichment: Give students a problem with an incorrect drawing for an answer and have them figure out where the problem solver went wrong. There is an example given in Appendix D.

Discovery of the algorithm Once your students have grasped the concept of all three manipulatives (fraction tiles, transparencies, and drawings) it is now time for the discovery of the algorithm. Bring back the problems from previous manipulatives (fractions tiles, transparencies and drawing) to the class with their corresponding answers. It is important to use problems that students will easily be able to see the pattern. See Appendix E for a helpful resource of sample examples. Do not use the multiplication sign yet! Let your students figure it out. **Some students will discover the algorithm without the teachers assistance. In the case where no students figure out the algorithm, here are a few specific questions that will lead your students in the right direction. Use these questions in this order and give them time to reflect on them before jumping to the next question. 1. Do you see a pattern or a relationship between the fractions and their corresponding answer? 2. Do you see a pattern between all numerators (from the fractions and their corresponding answers)? 3. Do you see a pattern between all denominators (from the fractions and their corresponding answer)? 4. Is there an operation you can put in between the two fractions that would create a relationship with the answer?

When students are comfortable with the pattern of multiplication, ask your students why certain problem such as 2/3 x 1/2 = 1/3 does not fit the pattern? Is there anything they can do to fit the pattern? (Answer: equivalent fractions 2/3 x = 2/6 = 1/3)

Closure
Objectives:
Reinforce the algorithm Apply the algorithm to various word problems

Materials:
Copies of the Multiplying Fractions handout Copies of the Practice Word Problems handout Concentration Game Copies of the brainteaser Sheet music

Advance Preparation:
Photocopy the Multiplying Fractions handout Photocopy the Practice Word Problems handout Photocopy the brainteaser and have it prepared as an overhead or PowerPoint

Instruction:
For Reinforcement: Have students complete the Multiplying Fractions handout in Appendix F and then as a class review the problems on the board (Assessment) Have the students work in pairs to complete the Practice Word Problems handout in Appendix G and then as a class review the word problems on the board (Assessment) Split your class into groups of 4-5 and have each group play a game of concentration using multiplication of fractions. See Appendix H for a template. (Assessment)

For Enrichment: Present a brainteaser, involving fractions, to the class and give them time to try it on their own. After some time of working separately or in small groups, give the students some hints and then later solve it together. There is a sample brainteaser in the Appendix I that you may want to try in your class. Ask the students to create their own word problems and then have them exchange with a partner and have them try and solve their partners word problem. (Assessment) Have students retry the contextual problem using the algorithm.

Now that your students have learned the algorithm, have them create a digital photo story or digital cartoon to explain how to use fraction tiles to multiply fractions to next years class. As an enrichment activity, students who are proficient with musical theory can transcribe music by multiplying the time signatures by a specific fraction. Have students bring in sheet music, or have them create their own. Multiply the time signature by a specific fraction and transcribe the new music on a new staff. See Appendix J for an example.

Appendices

Appendix A
i)

Appendix A
ii)

Appendix B

Review Practice Questions:

Simplifying fractions 1. 4/12 2. 3/42 3. 16/56 Equivalent fractions 1. 7/3 = X/20 2. 5/X = 35/14 3. 56/7 = 8/X Addition 1. 2/3 + 1/2 2. 3/5 + 4/10 3. 2/7 + 1/6 Subtraction 1. 3/4 1/2 2. 7/8 1/3 3. 3/5 1/8 Convert mixed numbers to improper fractions (or improper fraction to mixed numbers) 1. 1 3/4 > 2. 3 2/3 > 3. 17/4 >

Appendix C
Jeopardy Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Divide the class in two groups, pick a name for each group 2. Type the group name in each slot (Player 1 name and Player 2 name) 3. You can also double click on the picture icon to change the character of each group 4. Click on Begin 1 player game or Begin 2 player game 5. Ask a group to pick a category and a value amount 6. Click on the groups choice (on the jeopardy game) 7. Write their answer in the slot Answer: 8. Click Submit 9. It will state the groups answer as well as the correct answer 10. Click Continue 11. Repeat step 4 to 8 till the game is over 12. **If a group answers correctly, they get to pick another question 13. **If a group answers incorrectly, it is the others group turn to play 14. You can start the game over at anytime by clicking Start Over

Appendix D
Problem: Johnny drew the following to solve 4/5 by 2:

He concluded that the answer is 8/10. Do you agree with this answer? Why or why not?

Answer:

The answer is actually 8/5 but the drawing is correct. You have to remember that there are two units divided into fifths, not tenths. If you draw it out like below its a little easier to see the correct answer.

The answer is 1 and 3/5 or, as we said before 8/5.

Appendix E
Types of questions for the discovery of the Algorithm 1. 1/3 x 1/4 = 1/12 2. 3/4 x 1/3 = 1/4 3. 1/3 x 1/2 = 1/6 4. 2/3 x 1/3 = 2/9 5. 3/4 x 3/4 = 9/16 6. 2/3 x 4/5 = 8/15 These types of questions will assist the students in discovering the algorithm because they will easily see the pattern between the fractions and the answers.

Appendix F Multiplying Fractions

1. 2/3 x =

2. 8/9 x 1/3 = 3. 5/6 x 2/7 = 4. 1/7x 5 = 5. 4/9 x 2/3 = 6. 2 2/3 x 1/6 = 7. 2/4 x 3/6 = 8. 1/8 x 3 1/6 = 9. 6 x 2 1/7 = 10. 4 2/9 x 5 1/5 =

Appendix G Practice Word Problems:

1. Last night Fraser went for a ride on his dirt bike. He started off the evening with 2/3 of a tank of gas, but he burned of the gas that he started with. What fraction of gas did he use last night? 2. In Madame Pheeneys math class, 5/6 of the students finished their homework. 1/4 of these students did the wrong page. What fraction of students completed the correct page of homework? 3. This weekend Vanessa P. went to the mall and took with her of her weekly allowance. She ended up spending 1/3 of the money that she had with her at the mall. What fraction of her weekly allowance was spent at the mall? 4. Matt walked 4 6/7 kilometers to help raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation. Sarah walked 1/3 the distance that Matt walked. Brittany walked twice as far as Sarah. How far did Brittany walk? 5. Becky went apple picking and later baked 4 apple pies. She ate 1/5 of one of the pies and put the remaining pies on the back porch to cool. Morgan and her friends came along and ate of the pies on the porch. How much pie was left on the porch? 6. Last night, Erin was downloading an episode of The Simpsons but your internet connection cut out when it was only two thirds of the way done. He decided to watch it anyway, but he got called down for supper half way through it. How much of the episode did Erin watch? 7. Heather and Courtney C. ordered a pizza and decide to each get half. Heather ate three quarters of her portion. How much of the entire pizza did Heather eat? 8. Laura has twenty friends that she wants to invite to her party, but her parents say she can only invite 4/5 of them. Of these 4/5, only three quarters can come. How many friends are going to Lauras party? 9. Amanda was planning on baking cupcakes for Kristas party Saturday night. The recipe called for three quarter cups of sugar. When she went to measure the sugar, she found that she only had half of the amount of sugar she needed. How much sugar did she actually have? 10. Ashleighs brother was taking Ashleigh and her friends to a concert in their dads car. There was originally three eighths of a tank to begin the journey. When they arrived home from the concert, they had used only one quarter. How much gas was left in the tank? 11. There are 30 students in Courtney M.s science class. The teacher, realizing the importance of giving students choice, allowed students to choose one of eight different projects. One third of the students chose to do their project on the digestive system. Of the one third of them, one half decided to focus on the digestion of lipids and one fifth focused on the digestion of proteins. How many students focused on carbohydrates?

Appendix H

Note: This is a template for a concentration game to print off. You could print these onto cards (or write them out on cards) and use them in groups of 4 to 6 students. Use normal concentration rules.

Appendix I

Brain Teaser
At the party, the host decided to serve his dishes in this pattern... For every 2 guests, he would serve one plate of meat. For every 3 guests, he would serve one plate of rice. And for every 4 guests he would serve one plate of sauce. At the end of the party, a servant told the host that they had served a total of 65 dishes. If 65 dishes were served, than how many guests were at the party?

Brain Teaser- Answer

There was a total of 60 guests. I came upon this answer because 1/2 of 60 + 1/3 of 60 + 1/4 of 60 = 65. 30(# of meat dishes) + 20(# of rice dishes) + 15(# of sauce dishes) = 60 total guests

Appendix J

Example of a musical time signature problem

An example of a student generated answer to the time signature problem.

Appendix K

For Teac her s Use

Common Misconception that students may have in regards to the multiplication of fractions:
Which of the following problems are solved by calculating 1/3 x 2/3, and which are not? 1. A recipe calls for 2/3 cup of sugar. You want to make 1/3 of the recipe. How much sugar should you use? (YES) 2. 2/3 of the cars at a car dealership have power steering. 1/3 of the cars at the same car dealership have side-mounted airbags. What fraction of the cars at the car dealership have both power steering and side-mounted airbags? (NO, from the information given, we dont know if 1/3 of the cars that have power steering have side-mounted airbags.) 3. 2/3 of the cars at a car dealership have power steering. 1/3 of those cars that have power steering have side-mounted airbags. What fraction of the cars at the car dealership have both power steering and side-mounted airbags? (YES) 4. Ed put 2/3 of a bag of candies in a batch of cookies that he made. Ed ate 1/3 of the batch of cookies. How many candies did Ed eat? (NO, we cant tell how many candies Ed ate, only what fraction of a bag of candies Ed ate.) 5. Ed put 2/3 of a bag of candies in a batch of cookies that he made. Ed ate 1/3 of the batch of cookies. What fraction of a bag of candies did Ed eat? (YES)

Anthony is trying to solve 5/7 x 2. He draws a picture as in Figure 6.5 and concludes from his picture that 5/7 x 2 = 10/14, because there are 14 small pieces and 10 of them are shaded. Is Anthony right or not? If not, help Anthony figure out whats wrong with his reasoning. Figure 6.5

Is 5/7 x 2 = 10/14 ?

Answer: No. Although Anthony has drawn a good representation of the problem, his reasoning is not completely right. 10 pieces are shaded, and these 10 pieces do represent 5/7 of 2 rectangles. But Anthony must remember that each small piece represents 1/7 of the original object, which we infer must have been one rectangle. So 5/7 x 2 is the fraction of one rectangle that is shaded. This fraction is 10/7. When drawing pictures such as Anthonys, its a good idea to also draw 1 whole object somewhere as a reminder that this is your reference amount.