Lesson 6: Build non-unit fractions less than 1 from unit

fractions concretely.
60 MIN

DIGITAL INTERACTIVE

Lesson at a Glance
Students cut paper strips to create unit fraction tiles. They duplicate the unit fraction tiles to
build and name non-unit fractions. Students write a non-unit fraction in fraction form for the
first time.

 Key Questions

How is a unit fraction related to other fractions?

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 Agenda Materials Lesson Preparation

Fluency 10 min Teacher

Launch 5 min
Use paper strips to prepare one
Paper strips, 1″ × 6″ (5) set of unit fraction tiles in
Learn 35 min
advance for teacher use (see
Students
Create Unit Fraction Learn for details).
Tiles Fraction strips Gather student-created fraction
Iterate Unit Fractions Paper strips, 1″ × 6″ (5) strips from lesson 3.
Record Non-Unit Prepare paper strips. Use a
Scissors
Fractions different color from what was
Problem Set used for fraction strips in lesson
3. Consider preparing some
Land 10 min
extras in case of mistakes or
imprecise folding.
Consider providing an envelope
for students to use to store their
unit fraction tiles. The fraction
strips and unit fraction tiles will
be needed again throughout the
module.

Fluency
10 MIN

Whiteboard Exchange: Decompose Whole Numbers

10 MIN

Students use a number bond to decompose a whole number into two

parts multiple ways to prepare for similar work with fractions beginning
in lesson 7 .
After each prompt for a written response, give students time to work. When most
students are ready, signal for students to show their whiteboards. Provide immediate and

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 specific feedback. If students need to revise, briefly return to validate their corrections.

Display the number bond.

 What does the number bond show? Tell your partner.

Teacher Note

Validate all correct responses, including any that are not displayed on the
images. For example, students may have the numbers in different parts of the
number bond, or they may have different parts that add to the given total.
Students are only expected to use whole numbers in this activity.

Provide time for students to think and share with their partner.

 The number bond shows 4 as the total. The parts are 3 and 1.
Display the number bond with a total of 4 and two unknown parts.

 Draw and complete the number bond to show another way 4 can be
decomposed into two parts.

Display the sample number bond.

Display the two number bonds each with a total of 6 and two unknown parts.

 Draw and complete the number bonds to show two different ways to
decompose 6 into two parts.

Display the sample number bonds.

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 Continue the process, asking for two different ways to decompose 8 into two parts.

Choral Response: Equal or Not Equal

Students determine whether a shape is partitioned into equal parts and,

if so, the number of its equal parts and its fractional unit, to build an
understanding of fractions.
After asking each question, wait until most students raise their hands, and then signal for
students to respond.

 Raise your hand when you know the answer to each question. Wait for my signal
to say the answer.

Display the picture of the circle partitioned into equal parts.

 Is the shape partitioned into equal parts?

 Yes.
 How many equal parts?
4
 What fractional unit does the circle show?
 Fourths
Display the fractional unit.

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 Display the picture of the rectangle partitioned into unequal parts.

 Is the shape partitioned into equal parts?

 No.
Repeat the process with the following sequence:

Counting with Fraction Strips by Halves, Thirds, and Sixths

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 Students count by halves, thirds, or sixths shown on a fraction strip and
identify the fraction shaded to develop fluency with fractions and
fraction notation.
Display the fraction strip partitioned into halves.

 When I give the signal, use the fraction strip to count by halves to 2 halves and
then back down to 0 halves. The first number you say is 0 halves. Ready?

Display each unit being shaded or unshaded one at a time in the fraction strip as students
count.

 0 halves, 1 half, 2 halves, 1 half, 0 halves

Repeat the process with thirds and then sixths.

Display 1 half shaded.

 How much is shaded? Say the answer as a fraction.

 1 half
Display the answer.

Repeat the process with the following sequence:

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 Launch
5 MIN

Launch
5 MIN

Students represent fractional units in a context and drawing.

Display the problem and use the Math Chat routine to engage students in mathematical
discourse.

Jayla partitions her garden into 4 equal-sized sections so she can plant tomatoes,
squash, peppers, and cucumbers. What fraction of the garden is available for
growing tomatoes? What fraction of the garden will be for growing other
vegetables?

Give students 2 minutes to independently think and draw to answer the questions. Have
students give a silent signal to indicate they are finished.

Have students discuss their thinking and drawing with a partner. Circulate and listen as
they talk. Identify a few students to share their thinking and their drawings. Choose work
that represents the equal sections of the garden differently. Invite students to discuss
how each drawing represents the same fractional amounts of tomatoes and other
vegetables.

Transition to the next segment by framing the work.

 Today, we will use unit fractions to build fractions and represent them in unit
and fraction form.

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 Learn
35 MIN

Create Unit Fraction Tiles

35 MIN

Materials—S: Fraction strips, paper strips, scissors

Students use fraction strips to create unit fraction tiles.

Teacher Note

Consider providing students with a straightedge to help them create straight

lines.

After the paper strips created in this segment have been cut and labeled, they
are referred to as unit fraction tiles. The unit fraction tiles are used in the next
part of Learn and in subsequent lessons.

Consider directing students to put their initials on the back of each piece and
to store their unit fraction tiles for future use.

Direct students to use the fraction strips created in lesson 3 and blank strips to make unit
fraction tiles for halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths.

Guide students through the following process starting with the halves fraction strip. Then
direct students to repeat the process for each of the other fractional units.

Lay the blank strip below the fraction strip.

Make a mark on the blank strip at each crease on the fraction strip to partition the
blank strip.

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 Fold at each mark. Trace a straight line along each fold.
Label each unit fraction in fraction form.

Cut on each fold to create unit fraction tiles. Do not cut the fraction strips.

 Because each tile represents one unit, we will call these unit fraction tiles.

Teacher Note

The emphasis in this lesson is on iterating unit fractions to show non-unit

fractions. The term non-unit fraction is used to describe fractions that are not
unit fractions. A non-unit fraction is a fraction with a numerator other than one.
Students do not need to be fluent with or use the term non-unit fraction.

Once students have created all the unit fraction tiles, invite them to independently lay
each one-half fraction tile on top of the matching fraction strip. Ask students to count
each half in unit form (i.e., 1 half, 2 halves) and confirm they can make 1 whole with their
new fraction tiles. Invite them to repeat the process with each unit, counting and
confirming they can make 1.

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 Invite students to turn and talk about how the unit fraction tiles are similar to and
different from the fraction strips.

Iterate Unit Fractions

Materials—S: Fraction strips, unit fraction tiles

Students iterate, or duplicate, unit fractions to create non-unit fractions.

Invite students to organize their unit fraction tiles by making a pile of each fractional unit.

Begin iterating unit fractions with the one-third fraction tiles.

Promoting the Standards for Mathematical Practice

Students look for and make use of structure (MP7) as they use unit fractions to
compose and understand non-unit fractions.

Ask the following questions to promote MP7:

How are the fractions 1 and 2 related? How can that help you think
3 3
about 33 or other fractions involving thirds?
How can what you know about unit fractions, such as 1 , help you
6
understand other fractions, such as 56 ?

Direct students to lay 1 one-third fraction tile on top of the thirds fraction strip.

 What fraction does this tile represent?

 1 third
 What type of fraction is this?
 Unit fraction
Direct students to lay another one-third fraction tile next to the first one.

 Let’s count by thirds to see how many thirds we have.

 1 third, 2 thirds
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  What fraction do these tiles represent?
 2 thirds
 We repeated, or iterated, a unit fraction to compose a different fraction. 2 thirds
is not a unit fraction because it is composed of more than one unit fraction.

How many more thirds do we need to make 1?

 1 third
Direct students to lay another one-third fraction tile next to the first two, count by thirds,
and name the fraction represented by the tiles. Model how to record the skip-count of
the fractions in fraction form.

Invite students to turn and talk about what unit fraction was iterated to cover the entire
fraction strip and make 1.

Language Support

Consider supporting students in distinguishing a unit fraction from a non-unit

fraction with a labeled visual such as the following.

 Descriptive table

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 Repeat the process with the fourths fraction strip and one-fourth fraction tiles. Name
each non-unit fraction and identify how it is made with unit fractions.

Then lay 1 one-sixth fraction tile on top of the sixths fraction strip.

 What fraction does this tile represent?

 1 sixth
Lay another one-sixth fraction tile next to the first one. Prompt students to count the
unitfraction tiles by sixths.

 1 sixth, 2 sixths
 What fraction do these tiles represent?
 2 sixths
 How did we make 2 sixths?
 We used 2 one-sixth tiles.
Lay another one-sixth fraction tile next to the first two.

 Count by sixths.
 1 sixth, 2 sixths, 3 sixths
 What fraction do these tiles represent?
 3 sixths
 How did we make 3 sixths?
 We used three of the unit fraction 1 sixth.
 How many more sixths to make 5 sixths?
 2 sixths
Lay down two more sixths. Count by sixths and identify the non-unit fraction.

 How many more sixths to make 1?

 1 sixth
Lay down the final sixth. Count by sixths and identify the non-unit fraction.

Model how to record the full count of the fractions in fraction form.

Invite students to work with a partner to repeat the process with eighths. Circulate as
students work and listen for them to identify non-unit fractions and relate them to the
number of unit fraction tiles used to represent them.

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 Invite students to turn and talk about the difference between a unit fraction and a non-
unit fraction.

Record Non-Unit Fractions

Students record non-unit fractions in fraction form.

Display the Fraction Tiles digital interactive and use it to represent 3 .
4

Invite students to turn and talk about what fraction of the rectangle is shaded.

Display the chart. Complete the chart with a sequence such as the following.

 Descriptive table

UDL: Representation

Consider using a chart such as the one shown here to highlight the relationship
between unit fractions and non-unit fractions. Emphasize that the number of
unit fractions is what creates non-unit fractions.

 How many units will it take to make the whole rectangle?

4
 How do you know?
 The units are fourths, and it takes 4 fourths to make 1.

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  What is the unit fraction that represents each unit?
 14
 How many units are shaded?
3
 What is the fraction that is shaded?
 34
Represent 2 with an unshaded unit between the two thirds. Use a sequence such as the
3
following to complete the chart in reference to the image.

How many units will it take to shade the whole rectangle? How do you know?
What is the unit fraction that represents each unit?
How many units are shaded?
What is the fraction that is shaded?

 Descriptive table

Invite students to think-pair-share about why the shaded fraction is still 2 even though
3
the unshaded part is in the middle of the rectangle.

 It is still two units of 1

3
that are shaded.
It’s still the same amount of the rectangle that is shaded, even though the shading
is in a different place.

As time allows, repeat the process to represent and record fractions such as 46 and 58 .
Vary the placement of the unit fraction tiles within the rectangle to encourage students’
flexibility in identifying the shaded fraction and to maintain focus on the number of
shaded unit fractions.

Invite students to turn and talk about how they know what to name the shaded fraction.

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 Problem Set

Differentiate the set by selecting problems for students to finish independently within the
timeframe. Problems are organized from simple to complex.

Land
10 MIN

Debrief
5 MIN

Materials—T: One-sixth fraction tile

Objective: Build non-unit fractions less than 1 from unit fractions

concretely.
Use the following prompts to guide a discussion about unit fractions and non-unit
fractions.

Show a one-sixth fraction tile.

 How many of these tiles do we need to make 56 ? How do you know?

 We need 5 of the one-sixth tiles. If we counted the 5 one-sixth tiles, we would
count to 5 sixths.

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  How is a unit fraction related to other fractions?
 Every fraction is made of unit fractions.
When you put unit fractions of the same size together, you get other fractions.

Exit Ticket
5 MIN

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 Provide up to 5 minutes for students to complete the Exit Ticket. It is possible to gather
formative data even if some students do not complete every problem.

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