The purpose of this Estimation Exploration is for students to think about dividing a unit fraction into smaller pieces. In the lesson, students will be given extra information so they can determine the exact size of shaded regions like the one presented here.
Launch
Groups of 2
Display the image.
“What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
1 minute: quiet think time
Activity
“Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
1 minute: partner discussion
Record responses.
Student Task Statement
How much is shaded?
Record an estimate that is:
too low
about right
too high
Student Response
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Advancing Student Thinking
Activity Synthesis
Draw and display the image:
“How is this diagram the same as the diagram in the problem? How is it different?” (Both diagrams show of the whole and then a piece of that is shaded. The shaded piece in this diagram is cut horizontally. The other diagram is long and narrow and the shaded piece is an entire vertical slice.)